PAS Central Ulama Council chief and Kedah Commissioner, Ustaz Ahmad Yahaya, said that gambling elements have quietly penetrated society, such as claw machines popular among children and fee-based competitions reliant on luck, which technically involve gambling components.
Highlighting the urgency of curbing gambling, he said Kedah officially terminated number forecast operator (NFO) gambling licences effective 1 January 2023, becoming the third state after Kelantan and Terengganu to do so, followed by Perlis.
Ahmad Yahaya stressed that the ban was a firm decision based on Islamic principles and in line with the licensing authority vested in local councils. While local governments have the power to revoke NFO licences, the main gambling industry licences remain under the Finance Ministry, governed by various federal laws.
He told HarakahDaily gambling prohibition is not a matter for fiqh debate but a definitive Islamic ruling that cannot be disputed. “Its implementation depends on the political will and courage of the government. It is an obligation, not a choice.”
The PAS leader added that the Perikatan Nasional (PN) state government will not compromise on vices such as gambling, in line with the principle of “enjoining good and forbidding evil” and the demands of Islamic law. However, he acknowledged that implementation must be gradual to protect the livelihoods of operators and workers, hence the grace period before full enforcement in 2023.
