Forest City fallout: Malaysia’s Anwar, tycoons urged to ‘walk back threats’ over casino report

Media freedom advocates warn of public discourse being stifled after the prime minister called for action to be taken against sources in a news report

Legal proceedings have been launched by the companies implicated in the report in a bid to unmask the informants who made the now-dismissed claims

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Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim pictured on April 22. Controversy over the alleged casino plans could eat away at the already weak support he and his government have among Malays. Photo: Bloomberg

Published: 10:00am, 30 Apr 2024Updated: 11:30am, 30 Apr 2024

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is facing criticism for leading calls to shut down a contentious report on casino plans for a flatlining urban project, as the Forest City fallout unfolds and questions mount over the hold of Islamists on public discourse.

Anwar on Friday denied a Bloomberg report – which was widely picked up by local news outlets – that said he had met two tycoons over the possibility of establishing Malaysia’s second casino to revive the US$100 billion Forest City development in southern Johor state.

The prime minister also urged the parties mentioned in the report to “take the necessary action” against the anonymous sources cited by Bloomberg, a move press-freedom advocates decried as being reminiscent of the country’s “authoritarian past”.

Gambling is considered taboo across Malaysia’s multicultural society – especially among the ethnic Malay majority, who are predominantly Muslim and legally barred from engaging in any form of betting. Yet Malaysians are also prolific gamblers, with the country’s nationals regularly appearing at gaming tables elsewhere in Asia.

Berjaya Corp, which owns Malaysia’s largest lottery business, was one of the parties Bloomberg said had held talks with Anwar.

The company’s lawyers have lodged a police report to find out the identity of the “unnamed source” in the report, whom they alleged spread “completely untrue and false statements”.