‘Senseless for gambling tycoons, companies to donate funds to PN’ - Hadi

SHAH ALAM - It does not make sense for tycoons and gambling companies to contribute funds towards Perikatan Nasional (PN) especially when the party contains a group that is aggressively demolishing gambling centres.

Pas president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang said gambling company shares plummeted after they found out about PN's progress in the 15th General Election (GE15).

"The shares rose again exponentially when Pakatan Harapan (PH) gained power from democratic practices.

"It doesn't make sense that they would contribute towards the group that within it is accused of being the Taliban, the most aggressive party that takes part violently demolishing gambling centre.

"This meant that they are very stupid even though they know how to cheat and contributed the most towards corruption, towards corrupt individuals who joined the former court cluster prisoners, thus becoming a strong supporter for PH to form the government," he said in a post on his Facebook on Wednesday.

Anwar on Monday hinted that part of PN's election funds came from a gambling company involved in special draws.

He spoke during a press conference at the Prime Minister's Office in Putrajaya and said the election funds for the 'Malay' party and 'Islamic' party came from a gambling company.

Hadi said that when Pas governed Kelantan, several steps were taken to close down gambling centres in the state, in addition to discussion sessions held with leaders of all religions.

He said the leaders in the meeting informed that gambling was prohibited by all religions.

"We faced a problem afterwards when the jurisdiction of the state government was limited only to gambling premises.

"As for the gambling licenses it was subject to the jurisdiction of the Finance Ministry and the finance minister at the time was the current prime minister who is also the finance minister.

"When the Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah Pas state governments closed the gambling premises and others under its jurisdiction, the action received protests from the PH component parties, even in matters related only to the rights of Muslims," he said.