Court of Appeal rules in a majority decision that the move to deny licence renewals for several pool betting agents, their companies and officers was unconstitutional.
00:00The Court of Appeal has dismissed the Kedah state government's appeal to reinstate its ban on business premise licenses for pool betting and lottery operators.
00:09In a majority decision, Justices Faiza Jamaluddin and Lim Haq-Leng ruled that the appeal lacked merit,
00:16while Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak, Aziza Nawawi, dissented. No costs were ordered.
00:22Faiza and Lim said the state government's refusal to issue licenses to the pool betting agents, their companies and officers, was unconstitutional.
00:30Lim said Manchibasar's Sanusi North's administration had no power to ban pool betting and lotteries in Kedah
00:35as licensing fell within the purview of the finance ministry and not the state government.
00:41Faiza, meanwhile, said the state government had enroached on federal powers
00:45and undermined the finance minister's authority under the Pool Betting Act.
00:49The appeal arose after the High Court ruled last year that the Kedah government's decision to deny the licenses beginning January 1, 2023, was illegal and irrational.
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