PRIME Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today shot down reports that Putrajaya was considering a second casino in Forest City, Johor, to revive the stalled project.
"On the casino licence, it's a lie, that's not right. Nope," said the prime minister in a brief response to the media in Putrajaya today.
Sources familiar with the matter had earlier told Bloomberg that Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister had met Berjaya Corporation founder Tan Sri Vincent Tan and Genting Group’s Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay to discuss the deal.
They said Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar was also represented at the meeting.
However, talks are still in the preliminary stage. It’s unclear how seriously Anwar is taking the idea, which could cause a backlash in the Muslim-majority nation where gambling is frowned upon, read the report.
A casino would be a boost for Forest City, the sprawl of high-rise condominiums built on reclaimed land by Chinese developer Country Garden Holdings Co.
The report said that Anwar, senior government officials and the businessmen had lunch and meetings on the possibility of granting what would only be Malaysia’s second-ever casino licence. - The Vibes, April 25, 2024.
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