Najib Mahu Bina Kasino Di SabahKetua Pembangkang Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mendesak Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak menjelaskan sama ada kerajaan Umno-BN akan membina sebuah kasino di Sabah sebagai sebahagian daripada ETP (Program Transformasi Ekonomi).
Kasino itu dikatakan sebahagian projek pelancongan hijau di Karambunai yang turut membabitkan pembinaan pusat rekreasi air atas tapak 500 ekar, menurut portal Malaysian Insider.
Projek itu dicadangkan oleh Unit Pengurusan Prestasi dan Pelaksanaan (Pemandu), sebuah unit di bawah Jabatan Perdana Menteri.
"Kami mahukan pentadbiran Najib untuk bersikap telus dan menyatakan samada ia memang bercadang atau telah pun memberikan kelulusan untuk membina sebuah kasino di Sabah," Anwar dipetik sebagai berkata.
"Ada tanda-tanda bahawa kelulusan untuk membina kasino akan diberikan atas alasan untuk memastikan projek hijau itu berwibawa dan menguntungkan. Perdana Menteri harus memberi pengesahan atau penafian yang tegas atas isu ini," tambah Anwar.
Cadangan pembinaan kasino itu didedahkan setelah kerajaan Umno-Barisan Nasional meluluskan lesen judi sukan kepada sebuah syarikat milik jutawan Vincent Tan.
Namun setelah dikritik oleh Pakatan Rakyat dan orang ramai, termasuk masyarakat bukan Islam, Najib menarik balik kelulusan itu.
Tidak dapat dipastikan sama ada pembinaan kasino baru di Sabah, jika diluluskan, akan membabitkan syarikat milik Vincent Tan sebagai 'pampasan' kepada ahli perniagaan itu atas kehilangan lesen judi sukan berkenaan.
"Baru dua bulan isu lesen judi sukan reda, muncul pula berita mengatakan kerajaan mahu membina sebuah kasino. Bagaimanakah ia akan menguntungkan pembayar cukai?," kata Anwar.
"Rakyat berhak untuk mengetahui hala tuju negara ini di bawah pimpinan Najib. Nampaknya apa yang sedang dilakukan oleh pentadbiran Najib ialah untuk mempopularkan judi," kata Anwar. -TVS
Sabah minister shoots down casino proposal
KOTA KINABALU: State Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister Masidi Manjun has vehemently shot down a proposal to build a casino in Kundasang, citing its potential adverse impact on the population.
“We should not view it solely on perceived economic benefits. We must also consider its social impact on Sabahans themselves.
"The economic benefits look rosy but the possible social cost of gambling addiction and its social by-products are equally colossal,” he said.
He made these comments is response to the call made by Batu Sapi MP Edmund Chong Ket Wah (PBS) in urging Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to approve a casino licence for the state to help boost its tourism industry. He made the call while debating the 10th Malaysia Plan at the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday.
Chong proposed Kundasang as a suitable site for a casino, citing similarity in climate and environment to that of the Genting Highland during the debate.
Without mincing words, Masidi who is also Karanaan state assemblyman contended that one must not equate Kundasang with Genting, home to the country’s sole casino.
“I don’t think we can equate Kundasang with Genting. Kundasang has more than just the cool weather to lure tourists. It has Mt Kinabalu (Malaysia’s first World Heritage site) and other eco-attractions like birds watching.
"Genting would probably be just another highland without the casino but Kundasang will continue to stand tall in the tourism map even in the absence of a casino,” he said.
Naïve proposal
Blasting the proposal by Chong as naive he said: "Purely anticipating tourism dollars from having a casino is very simplistic way of looking at the issue.
"Sabah has so many tourism products that can be developed and are sustainable. All we need to do is attract investors and provide good infrastructure such as good roads and steady electricity supply.
"We should look beyond our life time to plan and develop the tourism industry in Sabah and avoid a quick-fix strategy which we may regret later.
"Sabahans should learn to be innovators and creators of our own brand of service products and not merely become senseless imitators of others," he cautioned.
He also noted that while the Genting casino was built on empty highland, Kundasang, is "overwhelmingly populated by Muslims and the government would need to take into consideration the sensitivity and social norms of the locals."
Chong had contended that the government had already allowed Sabah to be a gambling centre by issuing 44 jackpot licences and authorising the use of 425 jackpot machines. He said that if all 425 jackpot machines were placed in one building, it would already be a casino.
He also argued that in the case of the Genting casino, a host of economic activities that had developed around it had added to the billions of ringgit the gaming facility had encouraged. This, he said, would be the same for Kundasang.
He said Najib should consider it before Singapore establishes itself as the main tourism destination in the region with its three casinos, namely the Marina Bay Sands Casino built at the cost of US$5.5billion, Resort World Sentosa (US$4.7billion) and Crown Resorts Casino. -FMT
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