Anwar Ibrahim, the prime minister of Malaysia, has rejected a second game in the country, his most recent denial of the situation in response to recent reports that the nation was reportedly considering opening one.
When asked if his government would permit a second casino in the Southeast Asian nation, Mr. Anwar responded,” Affirmative no,” at the Qatar Economic Forum on Tuesday ( May 14 ).
Since last month, the matter has been in the news, with Bloomberg reporting that Malaysia is in first discussions with businessmen about constructing a game in Johor’s struggling Forest City development.
Numerous Malaysian and international media outlets picked up on the report, including Singapore’s daily The Straits Times,  , which cited unnamed sources in reports that Malaysia included the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone ( SEZ ) proposals.  ,
According to analysts who spoke with CNA, the odds are stacked against such a scenario because it is politically difficult to sell, a dangerous gamble financially, and it is likely to have a negative effect on some bilateral ties.
Mr Anwar, who is also banking secretary, said at the community that Malaysia’s existing focus areas are enough to drive potential growth.
” Malaysia does not have to venture into the ( second ) casino business. We are focusing on digital transformation, energy transition ( and ) AI, and we believe these are (among the industries that are ) adequate to push the country forward”, he said.
Late last month, the prime minister had previously denied plans to open a game in Forest City and called the assertions lies. The businesspeople who were mentioned in the news reports even made a statement about not attending a meeting of this nature.
Indonesian authorities have detained a number of people in connection with seditious remarks made in relation to the game report. Local media reported on Monday ( May 6 ) that Malaysian police had reportedly recorded a statement from a Bloomberg journalist over the article.
Genting was given a single game license in Malaysia in 1969, which was only granted once. The team also has casino activities in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Singapore.