KOTA KINABALU – The Sabah government should impose a state-wide ban on claw toy machines, for fear that it could teach children to gamble, PAS representative Aliakbar Gulasan told the state assembly today.
He said the machines have become ubiquitous, especially outside of supermarkets and hypermarkets where it is easily accessible to the public, especially children.
“It is not healthy for the children. These sections have to be closed so that we do not train gambling as a habit among the people,” Aliakbar (nominated-PAS) said when debating the governor’s speech.
Aliakbar, who is the Islamist party’s sole representative in the Sabah assembly, also urged the authorities and state religious department to crack down on the proliferation of unnamed shops that run online gambling operations.
On a separate issue, Aliakbar asked what the government is doing about Muslims working in convenience stores that sell alcoholic beverages, especially in raising awareness among employers and employees regarding religious restrictions in dealing with alcohol.
“As Muslims, we have the responsibility to not be directly involved in the selling of alcohol, including arranging, selling, and calculating (receiving payment) at the counter,” he said. – The Vibes, March 21, 2022
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