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Malaysian conservatives clamp down on bikinis, booze, gambling as tourists return

  • Kedah is banning gambling and alcohol in a blow to Langkawi’s tourism recovery, while Melaka says bikinis are ‘only suitable for the bedroom’
  • The states are governed by conservative Muslims, who won big in Malaysia’s recent general election and are seeking more dominance in state polls

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Visitors walk up to the lookout point near the Langkawi Skycab cable car. Photo: AFP
Hadi Azmiin Kuala Lumpur
Two months after an Islamist coalition won big in Malaysia’s general election, some lawmakers have clamped down on alcohol, bikinis and gambling in moves described as a “chilling” signal of creeping religious conservatism.
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The PAS party – with its iconic green banner – blindsided pollsters in November by sweeping up 43 seats, including 14 out of 15 in the increasingly conservative northern state of Kedah, where gambling is now banned.

Chief minister Sanusi Md Nor said the Kedah government would also go after the sale of alcohol, particularly in Langkawi, a popular tourism hub with a tax-free status.

PAS in 2018 expressed its vision of turning Langkawi into an Islamic tourism destination, where hotels would have gender-separate swimming pools and Muslims would be barred from visiting entertainment centres and buying alcoholic drinks. Photo: AFP
PAS in 2018 expressed its vision of turning Langkawi into an Islamic tourism destination, where hotels would have gender-separate swimming pools and Muslims would be barred from visiting entertainment centres and buying alcoholic drinks. Photo: AFP

“We also discussed tax-free shops in Langkawi … we hope there won’t be any open sale of alcohol, and limited to just non-Muslims,” Sanusi said, stressing that he feared divine judgement for allowing vice to thrive under his watch. “While I have power, I better use it [so that, if] things that are bad for people, we best avoid.”

While the state government claims the ban is for the public good, observers see it as a bid by Perikatan Nasional – the coalition PAS is part of – to position itself as the champion of Islam ahead of state elections which need to be called by August.

“Both sides will play the Islamic card in the next state election,” said James Chin from Tasmania University, saying that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his multicultural coalition have no other choice. “All this sends a very chilling message to the non-Muslim population in Malaysia.”

Sanusi’s announcement was met with wariness in Langkawi, which has been scrambling to recover from the loss of foreign visitors during the pandemic.
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