KUCHING, March 23: There is no need for a casino in Sarawak because Sarawakians can live like kings if the government takes back its oil and gas resources.
Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) president Voon Lee Shan who expressed this view is unsupportive of the idea to set up a casino in Sarawak because gambling can only bring more harm than good.
“I was asked by many people to object to the setting up of a casino in Sarawak but welcome the idea to build resorts to boost tourism and economy.
“While casinos can provide employment, attract tourists into Sarawak and other spillover economic benefits, we need to be mindful that gambling can become an illness worse than cancer.
“It (gambling addiction) can bring down an empire, destroy a happy family, (cause) suicides, and encourages gangsterism and crimes, as well as loan sharks and other vices associated with it,” he said in a statement today.
As such, Voon emphasised that lawmakers should not think only of economic benefits without weighing on the social consequences of establishing a casino.
This came following Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah’s response of being open to the idea of setting up a casino at Borneo Highland Resort, provide it is strictly regulated.
To think of having a casino, Voon said, reflects the lack of ideas on how to boost tourism and the economy of Sarawak.
He added that Sarawak should not take Singapore as a model because the island republic has no other major means of income, except from sea ports and airports.
“If Sarawak can take back her oil and gas resources, Sarawakians can live like kings and there is no need to think of casinos and lotteries.
“We have many lotteries (sic) and this has given many problems to low income people who waste their money on such games,” he said.
Instead of a casino, Voon stressed that the Sarawak government should think of ways to help the poor to put food on their tables and to boost the people’s incomes.
“If people have good income, this will help the economy to grow and the government can benefit from their contribution too,” he added.
He opined if the government is truly desperate for a casino to boost Sarawak’s economy, this should only be done on condition that all revenues collected from the casino go to Sarawak without a single sen flowing to federal coffers.
“We do not want to be exploited by the federal government anymore,” he said. — DayakDaily
