Malaysian PM denies talks on Forest City casino plans

Prime minister Anwar Ibrahim has refuted reports about a possible casino licence.

Malaysia.- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has denied reports that his administration was in talks about a casino in Forest City, Johor. Anwar, who is also finance minister, denied the government was considering issuing a second casino licence in the country.

Bloomberg had reported that Anwar Ibrahim met with Berjaya Corp founder Vincent Tan and Lim Kok Thay, the head of Genting Group, about the possibility of a casino at the US$100bn Forest City project.

However, according to the Malay Mail, a spokesman for Berjaya said that the company is not aware of any such conversations. Forest City has faced challenges in attracting residents, including political opposition and governmental restrictions. Genting Malaysia currently runs the country’s only casino resort, Resorts World Genting.