KULIM: Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor dismissed claims that Perikatan Nasional (PN) had obtained funding from gambling companies for the recent 15th General Election (GE15) campaign.
Sanusi, who is also Kedah PN chairman, said such allegation by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was baseless as Pas-led government had shut down 4D outlets in Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
"I was shocked...he came out of the Cabinet meeting attended by economic experts and told a press conference that PN campaign in the GE15 was funded by gambling companies.
"Ladies and gentlemen, in Terengganu, there is not a single gambling operator...in Kelantan they have been out of business for decades and I shut down all premises in Kedah last year.
"Does it even make any sense for him to say that gambling companies would want to sponsor PN's campaign?" Sanusi said in his speech at a PN mega rally for the Padang Serai parliamentary election at Taman Selasih here last night.
Sanusi also took a jibe at the federal government's move to reduce the number of special draws made by gambling companies from 22 to eight per year as gambling was still considered as 'haram' (forbidden).
"It is not the issue of how many times (a special draw is made), 22 or eight, gambling is still 'haram'," he said.
Sanusi said Anwar had embarked on a drive to polish his image while PN did not need to brag about the issue as states under its rule had shut down gambling outlets.
"He wants to show that he's more Islamic and is going all out against corruption.
"He wants to show that he is morally superior.. in Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu we have shut down gambling completely. We don't need to lecture anyone, we just shut them down."
Yesterday, Anwar announced that the government had agreed to cut down the frequency of special draws for gambling companies which was increased by the previous government.
Anwar had also implied that PN's GE15 campaign funds were partly sponsored by gaming companies involved in the special draws.