PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari has questioned the identity of those allegedly sponsoring gambling operators to bring a legal case involving gambling premises licences to court.
The Pasir Mas MP raised the issue following claims that Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor’s use of the phrase “pecah perut” was directed at Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Fadhli said Sanusi had claimed that he knew who was funding gambling bosses to pursue the case in court and had prayed that the alleged sponsor would “pecah perut”, a phrase that literally means “burst stomach”.
“Datuk Seri Sanusi said he knows who sponsors gambling bosses to bring the case to court, and he prayed that the person sponsoring them would ‘pecah perut’,” Fadhli said in a Facebook post on Saturday.
He also pointed to Sanusi’s call for the Finance Minister not to approve gambling licences, arguing that Anwar, whom he described as a prominent Islamic leader, would not approve such licences if the matter fell under his authority.
“Approving gambling licences is not the Madani principle,” he said.
The controversy arose after Sanusi’s political secretary, Zulkifli Yahaya, clarified that the “pecah perut” remark was not aimed at Anwar.
Zulkifli said the phrase was instead intended to express Sanusi’s anger towards gambling bosses who were allegedly financing legal action connected to the Kedah government’s efforts to stop the issuance of licences for gambling premises.
He also urged the public to listen to Sanusi’s full speech to understand the context and intended meaning of the remark.
Fadhli said, however, that Sanusi’s comments were subsequently linked to Anwar, resulting in claims that the Kedah Menteri Besar had prayed for the Prime Minister to “pecah perut”.
“Instead, a story emerged that Datuk Sanusi prayed for Anwar to ‘pecah perut’. Eh? So, who is sponsoring these gambling bosses?” he said.
The exchange has added another political dimension to the ongoing debate over gambling licences and the Kedah state government’s efforts to restrict gambling-related businesses.
