Sarawak tourism, creative industry and performing arts minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said some dissenters from Miri were opposed to the setting up of a casino on the grounds that gambling is “haram” in Islam.

Karim said as a Muslim, he personally would not go to the casino but stressed that there was nothing wrong with having one in the state as Sarawak is not just for Muslims, Malay Mail reported him as saying.

He was responding to Sarawak PAS chief Jofri Jaraiee who said that opening a casino in the state would do more harm than good as it would lead to gambling addiction, which ruins society and families.

Jofri also said that such consequences outweigh the potential economic benefits casinos could bring by way of being a major stimulus for tourism development.

Karim also questioned why Sarawak PAS only opposed the casino project when there were lottery outlets such as Magnum and Toto operating all over the state.

“These are also ‘haram’ for the Muslims. But when the casino idea was mooted, everybody gets excited without realising that the casino is not the only thing to be set up at the Borneo Highland resort,” he said.

The state minister said that an amusement park and a golf course had also been proposed at Borneo Highland.

However, he said that the decision on whether to set up a casino at Borneo Highland is for Sarawak premier Abang Johari Openg to make.