Starting 8 June 1983, Malay Muslims were banned from entering Genting’s casino

What to do in Genting? Since the place is famous for having the only legal casino in Malaysia, the answer would probably be gambling lah brooo what else?

If you ask a Muslim friend, however, the answer would likely be more halal: staying at the hotel, a visit to the theme parks, or maybe some shopping. Even the naughtier ones probably won’t say gambling, because they are forbidden by law to enter the casino. But did you know that that hasn’t always been the case?

Recently, we’ve stumbled upon a few newspaper clippings from when the government decided to ban Muslims from the casino, but before that happened, it might be surprising to some to know that …

Back in the day, the casino was seen as a good idea by the government

If you were to suggest building a casino in Malaysia today, you’ll probably get snorted at so much that your clothes will get damp from the condensation. Among other things, it would have been political suicide for any MP that endorsed the idea. But there was a time when the government was less strict about non-halal activities in Malaysia.

Back when Genting was first proposed by Lim Goh Tong in the 1960s, it was generally seen as a good idea by the government for several reasons. For one, Tunku Abdul Rahman, then Prime Minister, was reportedly touched by Lim’s initiative to develop a resort way up in the mountains without government help, which would greatly benefit the country’s developing tourism sector.

“To speed up the development of tourism at the remote place, he (Tunku) said that the government will enthusiastically consider it if Genting asks to run a casino. Tunku’s words encouraged me, so I immediately decided to increase the to-be-constructed Highlands Hotel’s capacity to 200 rooms,” – Tan Sri Lim Goh Tong, translated from Pena Aspirasi.

Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman, then Home Affairs Minister, reportedly also supported the idea as he felt that a licensed casino would stem illegal gambling and catalyze the tourism industry. Also, due to the location having one entry point, the security of the place won’t be an issue. No Cabinet members opposed the idea, and the application for the casino license was approved on 28 April 1969, six hours after it was submitted.

At the time, there wasn’t a law against Muslims frequenting the casino, so Malay Muslims were among the patrons and staff as well. However, that would soon change in the 1980s…

The ban came during the time when politicians started to out-Islam one another

Without going too much into the details, the 1980s was a time when Islam became somewhat a hot topic – people started calling for the government to protect the sanctity of Islam through laws, and it was said that the number of women wearing headscarves grew ‘exponentially’ during this period. Politicians sold that hard. People in UMNO and PAS started calling each other infidels then, and they came up with policies and ideas to show that they’re more Islamic than the other side.

In one of the newspaper clippings, it was mentioned that JAWI, the Federal Territories Islamic Department, was in the process of amending the federal law to ban Muslims from working at alcohol breweries, and from selling alcoholic drinks. So it was that kind of time. Anyhow, in September 1982, a headline from Mingguan Malaysia announced that Genting’s casino will be shut down, and the first step was to forbid Muslims from gambling there.

By January 1983, steps had been taken to move the remaining Muslim staff at the casino (around 10 Muslim workers per shift out of 200 total) to other departments, like the hotel or restaurant. It was speculated then that the workers might need a bit of convincing, as working at the casino pays more than other departments. The clipping also noted that while there were still Muslim patrons and workers at the casino, the number had been in decline for some time then.

Finally, a clipping from 1 Jun 1983 cemented the move: it was announced that Muslims cannot enter the Genting casino starting the 8th of June. Najib Razak, then the Menteri Besar for Pahang, was quoted to say that the Sultan of Pahang (also the Agong at the time) had signed the order during a press release.

The prohibition will be enforced by religious inspectors from the Pahang Religious Department along with Genting’s treasury and management. These inspectors would have been posted at the entrances and within the casino itself, and they will remain there for as long as the casino is open for business. Signboards prohibiting Muslim Malaysians from entering and visiting the casino were also planned, and those who decided to go anyway risk a fine of up to $250, three months in jail, or both.

That was the last clipping we found relating to the matter, and while it’s still forbidden for Muslims to enter the casino today, it seems that not everything that was planned panned out: the casino hadn’t been closed down, and we’re not sure if there are still Pahang Religious Department officials stationed within the casino. If you do visit Genting, let us know if you see them!