Netizens lash at lottery promotion in schools in Malaysia

MALAYSIA: The Democratic Action Party (DAP), an ally of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in his Madani government, is not shy about saying it does not support bans on gambling.

This is mostly in relation to the conservative state run by the Islamists Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS), where gambling is usually targeted, and bans are enforced.

However, in general, the DAP supports regulated, legal gambling while strongly opposing state-level bans on non-Muslim activities.

Recently, the party faced scrutiny from rivals and netizens regarding their stance on the gambling issue.

A video posted last week (May 14) shows Transport Minister and DAP leader Anthony Loke walking about before it focused on a speech, apparently done in a school, where a prominent speaker is talking about nurturing young talents.

The aspect that got netizens on X angry in the video is a poster of Sports Toto on a stand behind the speaker.

A screenshot of the video posted by an X user has more than 220,000 views. It gained much attention with many criticising the DAP, Madani, and the government in general for promoting gambling to students.

Post Naratif Rakyat wrote, “Great Madani Era. Sports Toto 4D can already do promos at schools. Bend the bamboo while it is still a shoot,” in the caption of the screenshot.

The shot was also taken when the prominent speaker was saying, “and nurture young talents’ as a form of sarcasm.

For another user, the question is whether DAP will get what it wants, linking the post to pigs as in a recent scandal in Selangor involving the animal that is considered ‘illicit’ for Muslims.

“Will there be normalisation of pigs in schools? Who are the Malay Muslim ministers in the Unity Government!? Who knows??”

However, others found it a funny state of affairs. The user said: “Malay warlords had shares in gambling companies. Go and look who it is…Hehehehe”

One user probably asked a good question, depending on whose side you are on, asking, “Among all the companies he has, why choose this gambling company for a school program? This is a serious, sincere question, not sarcasm.”

The relationship between DAP and gambling centres on several key public stances.

It opposes bans by Islamic-party-run states, saying that such bans infringe upon non-Muslim rights and encourage unregulated illegal gambling.

It also has economic concerns, with its leaders openly opposed to proposals to close large-scale legal gambling resorts, such as the casino at Genting Highlands.

It would devastate the local tourism economy and cost thousands of jobs, they say.

Perhaps it is also a political tool. DAP advocates for the rights of non-muslims to alcohol and lottery tickets.