Ahmad Fadhli Shaari said gambling in any form had long- and short-term repercussions on the people.

There were other ways the government could increase its revenue, the Pasir Mas MP said.

These, he said, included introducing a capital gains tax on shares and increasing corporate taxes by 1%.

“There is no need to increase special draws. This is a step backward,” he said when debating the 12th Malaysia Plan this evening.

Fadhli said despite arguments that the revenue from the special draws would be channelled for “certain things” it did not justify the need to increase the special draws.

“It is compulsory for the government to retract the decision before it faces greater opposition outside and inside the Dewan Rakyat.”

It was reported last week that the government has given gaming companies permission to hold 22 “special draws” for 4D numbers this year, on top of the usual thrice-weekly draws.

Under the Pakatan Harapan administration, there were only eight such special draws.

Last week, Perak PAS commissioner Razman Zakaria told its members not to react to netizens’ criticism on social media over the government’s decision to increase the number of 4D draws.

On a separate matter, Fadhli said he feared the LGBTQ culture would be accepted in Malaysia, as it was in the West, if no steps were taken to address it.

He said the community should be “cured” by the religious department.

“Don’t ever recognise them or the community will be regarded as normal,” he said commenting on the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia’s (Suhakam) research project on a legislation to recognise a third gender.

He went on to say that transgenders should not be tolerated.

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