PUTRAJAYA – There is no truth to Putrajaya receiving a proposal for a casino in Forest City, Johor, and “slanderers” should be sent to Sg Buloh prison, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
In his speech during the National Labour Day celebrations here, he said rumour-mongers have nothing better to do but to spread lies.
“It’s so easy to throw slander at their own will… they have no ‘modal’… they alleged ‘Anwar’ for approving a casino to be opened in Johor. What is this? I’ve never heard of this, and nobody ever proposed such a thing.
“The Yang di-Pertuan Agong (Sultan Ibrahim) has never expressed any intention never informed me about casinos or having gambling activities there. So where did this (accusation) come from? It’s all from ‘villains’ out there. They can have my old cell in Sungai Buloh (prison),” he said.
He also said the public must remember that Malaysia practises constitutional monarchy before criticising the recent arrest of an individual over comments on the casino issue.
“It’s okay if you criticise me, as I can take it and respond but you cannot insult (singgung) the royalty. They are not politicians.
“So don’t question why the authorities are taking action (against those who criticise the royalty).”
Yesterday, Bersatu information committee member Badrul Hisham Shaharin, or Chegubard, pleaded not guilty to a charge of issuing seditious statements over the alleged casino project in Forest City at the Johor Bahru sessions court.
The 45-year-old also chose to stand trial on two charges: making seditious remarks and defaming Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim.
Last week, Bloomberg’s report claimed Anwar met Berjaya Corp founder Tan Sri Vincent Tan and the Genting Group’s Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay for preliminary talks on setting up a casino in Forest City to revive the area.
Anwar, Berjaya and Genting have denied the talks.
Berjaya has also lodged a police report calling for an investigation into finding the source of such information.
Citing unnamed sources familiar with the talks, Bloomberg also said a representative of Sultan Ibrahim, who is also Johor’s ruler, was also present, as he is a shareholder in the joint venture with China firm Country Garden as Forest City’s master developer.
The beleaguered US$100 billion (RM480 billion) project, which began in 2006, has been dubbed a “white elephant” by some media.
In August last year, Anwar said Forest City would be made into a special financial zone. This, along with the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, would give Malaysia a competitive advantage in attracting foreign investments. – May 1, 2024