KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 16 – A total of RM222.7 million in taxes was collected from a special 4D draw alone usually held on Tuesdays for the years 2019, 2020 and 2021, according to a written response given by the Parliament to Member of Parliament for Seremban, Anthony Loke Siew Fook.
Anthony Loke received the information after he submitted a written question Monday on how much tax was collected through the special 4D draw which is held on Tuesday with a special approval from the Ministry of Finance.
A collection of RM113.29 million was made in 2019, RM72.53 million in 2020 and RM36.88 million in 2021.
Publishing the info in his Facebook page, Anthony Loke said the tax was channeled to the MOF Special Resource Account but there was no transparency on how the money was used.
The issue of gambling has become a hot topic in Malaysia following the ban of all gaming shops in Kedah over the weekend.
Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi on Sunday announced that the state will not renew the business licenses issued by the local councils to the gaming shops, calling it a social ill.
He also suggested that non-Muslims from the state travel to the neighbouring state of Penang – with which the MB has been at loggerheads in the recent months over the issue of water- if they wanted to buy lottery numbers.
Sanusi also announced that the state would be also introducing curbs on the sale of alcohol in some parts of the state.
The taxes on alcohol and cigarettes, also known as “sin tax” are quite high in the country.
–WE