Unconstitutional to refuse renewal of gaming licence, says lawyer

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PETALING JAYA: The Kedah government’s decision to ban gaming by not renewing the business licences of such outlets is unconstitutional, a lawyer said.

Syed Iskandar Syed Jaafar al-Mahdzar said this was because the PAS-led state government would be infringing on the legitimate livelihood of businessmen operating by way of licensing.

“Not to renew their licences is actually acting contrary to Article 5 (right to livelihood) and Article 13 (right to property) of the constitution,” he told FMT, adding that the constitution was supreme because Malaysia is a secular state.

The lawyer said an adversely affected businessman running a gaming outlet could file for a judicial review in line with a recent Federal Court ruling (Anwar Ibrahim v The National Security Council).

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