Johor MB: Casino Opening at Forest City Merely Rumours Meant to Tarnish Johor’s Image

Throughout this week, news of a casino opening at Forest City in Johor was being spread around, and the source points to an article by Bloomberg.

The article says that our Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has met with several tycoons to briefly discuss the idea of developing a casino to revive Forest City; the PM has since said that this is untrue.

Backing up his statement, the Menteri Besar of Johor, Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi says that the opening of a casino there is merely a rumour and one that is meant to “sabotage and to maliciously tarnish the image of Forest City and the state of Johor as a whole.”

“From a historical perspective, it is evident that since the reign of the late Sultan Sir Ibrahim, three casinos in Johor have been closed,” he added.

The MB also stated in his Facebook post that His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, had made a declaration before saying that no casinos shall be built in Johor.

“With this clarification, it is hoped that this issue will no longer be prolonged and sensationalised to the extent that it affects the harmony and reputation of the state.”

In addition, he states that the state government is confident that Forest City will be revitalised with the development of the Special Financial Zone (SFZ) and the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).

The federal government also supported the state government’s efforts in boosting Johor’s local economy.

What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments.

Also read: Source Shares M’sian Govt is Considering Casino to Revive Forest City, PM Anwar Says It’s Not True!