Liquor and gaming issues are heating up the northern state of Kelantan as PAS and BN representatives trade barbs and accusations inside and outside the state legislative assembly.

takiyuddin hassanIn the Kelantan assembly today, local government, tourism and culture committee chairperson Takiyuddin Hassan slammed opposition leader Md Alwi Che Ahmad (BN-Kok Lanas) after the latter spoke on the issues to the media yesterday.

"The opposition leader spoke about the issue outside the sitting hall. Why didn't he bring it up during the state assembly sitting?   

"He tried to confuse the people by making false statement on these liquor and gaming issues," Bernama reported him (right) as saying after replying to Rohani Ibrahim (PAS-Tanjong Mas) during question time.

Refuting the allegation, Md Alwi said that he was just answering questions from reporters who had been waiting for him outside the sitting hall.

He said it was undeniable that Islam banned liquor and gaming, but the state government still allowed them to be sold to the non-Muslims.

"Haram is haram and halal is halal, but the allegation that Umno has allowed this to happen is not true," he said.

Takiyuddin then explained that the PAS-led state government had constantly controlled the liquor sales in Kelantan, but the sales was not banned to the non-Muslims.

At the same time, he said the state government did not allow the issuance of gaming licences.

alwi che matYesterday, Md Alwi (left) slammed the state government, saying it was too much for the state government to accuse Umno and the federal government of making liquor and gaming "halal", when like in Kelantan, they were only allowed for the non-Muslims.

Lotteries are not gambling?

In a related development, MCA central committee member and chairperson of the party’s NGO liaison bureau Tian Lian Ker lashed out at the Kelantant government for what it said were violations of federal laws on the rigNONEht to buy and sell lotteries.

In a statement, Tian (left) said the Kota Bharu Municipal Council (MPKB) had contravened federal laws and the rakyat’s civil rights when it conducted enforcement operations against the selling of welfare lotteries.

MPKB’s actions were ultra vires and caused unnecessary hardship on families who had been selling welfare lotteries licenced by federal laws, said Lian.

“The social welfare lottery is governed by specific federal laws guaranteeing the right to buy and sell such lotteries and shall not be deemed gambling or to have contravened the Gaming Act.

Referring to remarks by Takiyuddin that MPKB's actions were taken after consulting Chinese community leaders, Tian said this statement was “erroneous and a fallacy”.

“No community can take away the civil and legal rights of any community guaranteed under federal laws.

“Hence, the local authorities under PAS and Pakatan Rakyat governments must be consistent and transparent in exercising their authorities before introducing Acts which may infringe and contravene federal laws,” said Tian.

“I challenge the Pakatan Rakyat Government to be uniform and transparent with their policies and not act according to their whims and fancies.

“I further challenge other Pakatan Rakyat Governments to introduce the same Act, arrests and enforcement in Kedah, Selangor and Penang and let the people judge and decide their inconsistency and lack of transparency in implementing their policies using a trial and error manner,” he added.