Kedah MB Dato’ Seri Muhammad Sanusi has again made headlines when he declared that the state will effectively ban all gambling activities by refusing to approve all new business licenses renewal applications by gambling operators.
This decision does not come as a surprise to many political observers who are familiar with the policies that are commonly implemented in PAS-led states.
PAS, being an Islamic-based party is naturally opposed to gambling activities as it contradicts Islamic teachings. This policy is consistent in the state of Kelantan and Terengganu, two states that are also led by PAS that have long banned gambling and other activities that are deemed to contradict Islamic teaching and values.
The situation in Kedah however is not as straightforward in comparison to the two states as the population of non-muslims in Kedah is relatively a lot higher compared to both the states of Kelantan and Terengganu.
PAS is also not as politically dominant in Kedah as compared to Kelantan & Terengganu. In Kedah, PAS is only able to take control of the state government with the help of Bersatu, its ally in Perikatan Nasional that furnishes it with the seats it requires to achieve a simple majority.
The same allies in Perikatan Nasional have decided to distance themselves from the decision made by the Kedah state government. Bersatu information chief Azmin Ali for instance has called for more discussions to take place before the gambling ban in the state takes effect.
Gerakan President Dominic Lau has echoed the same sentiment and has made plans to send a delegate to discuss the matter further with the Kedah MB, the key figure behind the banning decision.
Perikatan Nasional however is not the only coalition that is split on the issue. Two Pakatan Harapan assemblymen from Kedah have broken ranks by expressing their support towards the gambling ban during the state assembly.
The move brought about the much-expected objections from their partners in the Pakatan Harapan coalition, the most vocal of which being DAP. The apparent ideological differences between political leaders from Amanah and DAP are great and can be said to equal those of PAS and Gerakan. The same could also be said for the apparent ideological differences between UMNO and its coalition partners in Barisan Nasional.
This phenomenon highlights the fact that the electoral system implemented in the country has somehow managed to force political parties to partner with other parties that are ideologically opposing from their own to maximize their potential of garnering broad-based support from the politically fractured public.
Albeit the decision to form broad-based coalitions are more likely due to electoral considerations than anything else, it does bring about the potential unintended positive outcome of ensuring that whichever coalition wins the elections are forced to govern in a centrist fashion as to avoid fracturing the coalition that they are in.
Pakatan Harapan has learned this lesson the hard way when a significant portion of its Bumiputera Member of Parliaments leave the coalition under the tide of Malay/Muslim political awakening that culminated in the organization of the Kongres Maruah Melayu and the eventual collapse of the coalition’s federal administration.
Only time will tell whether the political leaders in Bersatu and Gerakan will be able to revert the gambling ban decision made in Kedah. Whatever the outcome of the discussion will be, it will reveal which party in the coalition has the most say when it comes to policy matters.