Chinese daily Nanyang Siang Pau has apologised claiming that PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang had said Pakatan Rakyat would ban gambling should the coalition take federal power.

In the daily's evening edition today,  a clarification stating that Abdul Hadi had in fact said the coalition would ban saman ekor. 

The daily attributed the error to a translation mistake. 

The term saman ekor is the colloquial term to describe traffic fines via electronic evidence posted to homes, while the term empat ekor is the colloquial term for four-digit number betting.

Earlier today, Abdul Hadi's aide issued a statement denying the  news reports that Pakatan will ban gambling nationwide if it forms the federal government.

hadi awang and pasHe urged those sections of the media that published the report to issue a public apology and retract the ‘inaccurate report’.

The announcement, attributed to Hadi (right), was reported by Chinese dailies Nanyang Siang Pau and China Press, but was later rebutted by DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

"This is to stress that Hadi had never mentioned the matter during the rally in Jerteh last Saturday, or at any other time or place,” Hadi's political secretary Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar said in a statement today.

"Hence the issue of PAS clashing with DAP over the matter does not arise at all."

Jumping the gun

Ahmad added that Hadi's speech at the rally could be viewed online.

azlanAccording to the two Chinese dailies, Hadi had announced at a rally in Jerteh last Saturday that PAS would implement Islamic policies should the party come to power, including a nationwide ban on gambling.

He was quoted as saying that the other Pakatan parties had reached a consensus on the matter with PAS.

Asked about the issue yesterday, Lim said a blanket ban on gambling was not in the coalition's common policy framework.

The statement also referred to a report in English language daily Star today, entitled  ‘Hadi: Pakatan will ban all gambling in Islamic state’.

A large number of MCA leaders had used the news reports to condemn Pakatan for attempting to implement conservative Islamic policies.