Karpal Singh berated PAS chief Fadzil Noor* for the latter's stand on the issue of gambling and casino ('Apologise for dismissing DAP leader as "unimportant", PAS chief told', Sept 11). In a nutshell, the DAP national deputy chair wanted Fadzil and PAS to guarantee 'business as usual' for casinos in Genting Highlands in case PAS comes to power in Pahang.

It is like asking for the mountain to come to Muhammad. Karpal must know that by default, all Muslims are required to detest gambling (and I believe, even gamblers think that gambling is bad!)

But what really astonished me is that Karpal defended the casino business in the name of secularism. My suggestion to PAS is that from now on, the proposed banning of casinos must not be argued along the lines of Islam.

The idea to ban this biggest casino in Southeast Asia is actually borrowed from China, Taiwan, India, Singapore and Indonesia. Be rest assured that Malaysia will not become like Afghanistan, Iran or Sudan if there is no Genting casino. We want to emulate, say, Singapore, a modern secular country.

Karpal Singh failed badly in his crusade for secularism because his cannon has misfired. His suggestion is all the more insulting in its inference that the non-Muslims in Malaysia do not know the evils of gambling and its effects to the good society ( masyarakat madani ) that BA is aspiring toward.

* Editor's note

: The letter writer mistakenly attributed PAS' latest comment on the Genting casino to Kelantan Mentri Besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat. We have rectified the error and we apologise for not spotting it earlier.