MELAKA, Nov 17 — Barisan Nasional (BN) is not responsible for the Kedah government’s decision to effectively ban numbers forecast shops in the state, said MCA president Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong.
In a press conference today, Wee stressed the decision came from Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor and was consequently not linked to either the federal government or the BN coalition.
“I already said what happened in Kedah is about the premise licence that is issued by the state government.
“This is not a matter under the purview of Barisan Nasional, that is up to the Kedah state government,’’ he said in a press conference today, along with Lendu candidate for the Melaka state polls and former state chief minister Datuk Seri Sulaiman Md Ali.
The Kedah Perikatan Nasional administration is headed by Sanusi from PAS, which is part of the federal government along with Wee’s MCA.
Today, Wee said he was also perplexed by DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng alleging that both BN and Perikatan Nasional were playing up extremist sentiments in the ongoing polls.
“I don’t understand, their allied component party, representative from Amanah supported the action In Kedah, so the supposed justification that he (Lim) had labelled (to BN) does not hold water. So, this is not a Barisan Nasional problem, it’s a decision by the state government,’’ he said.
However, Wee stressed non-Muslims have the right to partake in legal gambling without being implicated in laws that govern Muslims.
“In a multicultural society there are freedom given to non-Muslim, so for Muslims its haram, so if actions taken against Muslims who enter these places,then there should be no problem, because its haram for them.
“But for others, freedom must be given to them and it is up to them whether to engage (in these activities).
Last Sunday, Muhammad Sanusi had announced that all shops selling numbers forecast lottery draws within the state will no longer have their business licences renewed by local councils, with the move intended “to tackle the ills resulting from gambling”.
