THE Kedah state government is more than willing to forgo tax revenue loss from closure of gambling premises amounting to RM400,000 annually compared to facing moral decay emanating from the hazards of gambling.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said, such amount is a small price to pay compared to the adverse effects of gambling addiction which poses great damage to the community and family.
“Even if the tax revenue from this gambling premises is RM400 mil a year, I will ban it,” he told a media conference after chairing the weekly Kedah State Exco meeting at Wisma Darul Aman in Alor Setar yesterday (Jan 4).
“Loss of income from gambling premises tax will not cause any loss because this is in line with the demands of Allah SWT.”
With God’s grace, Sanusi expressed confidence that there will be more revenue from other income sources in addition to safeguard the community from the ill effects of gambling.
“Nobody gets rich because of gambling. Only owners of gambling dens get to be rich. No seasoned gamblers, 4D diehards or bomoh (shaman) can be rich.”
The PAS election director went on to explain that the closure of gambling premises in Kedah was not a drastic action because the matter had already been announced in November 2021.
It was then that the party had informed the licensees of gambling premises that once their licenses have expired, there would no longer be any extension, renewal or issuance of new licenses.
“The termination of the license does not actually happen simultaneously on December 31, 2022. It expires from time to time,” Sanusi pointed out.
“Although the last license expired on Dec 31 last year, there are premises whose licenses had expired before that but continued to operate until Dec 31.”
Moreover, Sanusi said the operators of gambling premises had also made preparations to shift their respective businesses to other sectors because the decision has been known to them since November 2021.
“Everything had already been ironed out just that some quarters chose to spark an issue out of it earlier this year. But for me it is not a sore spot for the state government because the policy had already been decided earlier.” – Jan 5, 2023
