The emphasis of religions should be on inclusivity and human enlightenment through patience and devotion instead of enforcing strict rules and regulations to control people’s actions.

It seems that the Kedah state government is really serious about banning gaming activities.

Beginning January 1, all betting outlets in the state, including Magnum, Sports Toto, Da Ma Cai and slot machines installed in five clubs will all have to close.

Kedah menteri besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said the state was only following the footsteps of Kelantan and Terengganu to ban gambling activities.

There are 36 state assembly seats in Kedah, 21 of which currently held by Perikatan Nasional (PAS 15 and Bersatu 6).

In any state where PAS holds most of the seats, gambling will sooner or later be banned, with Perlis where PN holds 14 out of 15 seats very likely to be the next.

PAS will very likely continue to helm the states of Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah after the state elections slated for mid-2023.

Meanwhile, the PH administrations in Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan are expected to remain, while states which are pro-unity government such as Sabah, Sarawak, Johor, Melaka and Pahang are not in a rush to ban gambling, unless PN is gaining strength and takes over the unity government as the federal government, then anything can happen.

Kedah is about to hold the state election soon, and the gambling ban will likely become a political issue that will be exploited by PAS to win over the voters.

Die-hard fans of gambling will not stop gambling just because of the ban; nor will they travel out of the state to buy a lottery ticket.

Black market lottery has been around for some time, and a transaction can be conveniently carried out with a handset through some kind of “secret signals.”

Regular customers even get to have their own accounts and be given access to credit facilities! Many of them end up owing tens of thousands of ringgit in gambling debts, no thanks to such underground gaming activities!

Because of the black market, it is simply impossible to ban gambling altogether. Closing legal betting centers will only create unemployment, causing the government to lose legitimate tax revenue while boosting underground betting syndicates.

Sanusi said when the late PAS spiritual leader Nik Aziz was Kelantan menteri besar, gaming outlets across the state were shut down and all activities deemed harmful to Islam were prohibited, including liquor sale at hotels and restaurants, as well as drinking in public on the grounds drunkenness can trigger crimes and immoral activities.

Other than gambling and alcohol, Terengganu also issued an “entertainment guideline” in March 2020 specifying that male and female cinema patrons must be seated at different zones, while only married couples are allowed to stay inside the same room in a hotel.

All religions are guiding their believers to be kind, and given the strict religious teachings of Islam, it is unlikely for a devout Muslim to become alcoholic or engage in gambling and any indecent relationships. So why the big fuss?

Buddhism also bans alcohol and meat and encourages people to be benevolent. However, the difference is that it does not impose so many rules and regulations governing the behaviors of its followers. Buddhists also worship big trees, giant rocks and rivers, but that’s not so much because of superstition but rather a show of respect for natural creations.

The emphasis of religions should be on inclusivity and human enlightenment through patience and devotion instead of enforcing strict rules and regulations to control people’s actions.