April 16, 2025 | 04:30 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Deputy Chairperson of Tourism Malaysia, Dato’ Yeoh Soon Hin, spoke about the prospects of gambling tourism, especially in Genting Highlands, Pahang. According to him, Indonesian tourists are not recommended to engage in gambling as their primary destination in Malaysia, despite it being legal in Genting.
“I must emphasize that we do not encourage gambling," said Dato’ Yeoh at the Malaysia Tourism press conference held at the Ritz-Carlton, South Jakarta, on Tuesday, April 15, 2025.
Dato’ Yeoh remarked that Malaysia does not target Indonesian tourists to visit casinos while in Malaysia, especially those in Genting Highlands, but rather encourages them to visit other tourist destinations in Malaysia, including cultural and sports tourism.
"But if there are Indonesian tourists who seek (casinos) in Genting, we can’t stop them, and we can’t prevent them,” he said.
He also reiterated that gambling is fundamentally prohibited in Islam, and Malaysia highly upholds Islamic religious law.
The operation of Casinos in Malaysia is restricted and limited to specific locations, with stringent rules. The Malaysian government bars Malay people and Muslims from visiting such places.
In fact, Genting Highlands—a mere one-hour drive from Kuala Lumpur—is not solely focused on the gambling business. Established in 1965, the complex also offers other attractions, such as star-rated hotels, luxury restaurants, and amusement parks.
Despite having a variety of tourism options, casinos in Genting Highlands also have their own reputation. The place has two large casinos, namely Genting Casino and SkyCasino, which are the only two places officially permitted to conduct gambling business.
Referring to the kuala-lumpur.ws tourism site, the casinos in Genting Highlands offer 400 types of electronic table games, 3,000 slot machines, and 30 other gaming tables for gambling games such as Blackjack, Tai Sai, and Russian Roulette. The place also provides a VIP gambling area for special guests and elite gamblers.
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