Truth can be stranger than fiction in this country. The story about an ex-chief minister of Sabah who lost nearly RM7 million in a London casino and the casino's failure to recover its debt in the Malaysian court is food for thought on those who wants to gamble overseas but don't want to pay up.

Gambling in any form is frown upon by the Islamic faith and one wonders how a Muslim leader can go on a gambling spree in London and lost heavily without thinking how his actions will besmirch our nation and the Muslims at large. To use legal niceties to avoid payment of the debt will only make our country a laughing stock in the opinion of others, and create an impression that Malaysians are an irresponsible lot who won't pay their bills.

To be fair to the ex-chief minister, other big shots like him had also lost heavily in casinos overseas and judgments had been obtained against them by the court of law in the countries where the losses were made. But this is the first time where a judgment from a fellow commonwealth country cannot be enforced in another commonwealth country. It just doesn't make sense.

Ordinary Malaysian who live on a shoestring budget to pay their bills would cringe to see their rich countrymen gambling away their money. Money which can be put to greater use to enhance our economy and improve the standard of living in this country.

One tends to wonder how the politicians in this country make their money for them to lose heavily in an overseas casino and if only the Muslims gamblers would donate their extra income to charity, how the poor and downtrodden people in this country can be lifted from their cycle of poverty to lead a better life. After all, one becomes a politician to bring change for the common people and not to be rich by any dubious mean.

As a parting shot, let me quote what Allah SWT says about gambling and drinking in the Holy Quran,

Surah Al-Baqarah (2) verse 219 :

'They ask you concerning wine and gambling; in them is great sin and some profit for men but the sin is greater than profit; they ask you how much they are to spend; say what is beyond your need; thus Allah SWT make clear to his signs in order that you may consider.'

In a nutshell, what Allah says is that gambling is a cardinal sin in Islam and the game is the invention of the devil and his aim is to bring hate to the people. How many marriages have been destroyed by this evil?