Bloomberg reported on Apr. 24 that Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim has taken meetings to consider opening a casino in Johor's Forest City development.

But Anwar himself has denied this.

Full house

According to Bloomberg, people said to be familiar with the matter said Malaysian prime minister Anwar Ibrahim met with two prominent Malaysian businessmen.

They were Berjaya Corp. founder Vincent Tan, and Genting Group’s Chairman Lim Kok Thay, Bloomberg alleged.

Bloomberg was told they had met to discuss the possibility of opening a casino in southern Johor’s Forest City development, located west of the Tuas Second Link bridge with Singapore.

The unnamed sources that Bloomberg quoted indicated that the talks were in very early stages, and that they were also unsure how seriously Anwar was considering the plan.

Bloomberg refuted

Everyone named by the report has distanced themselves from the supposed plan.

Anwar was quoted by MalaysiaKini on Apr. 25, dismissing the reports that he was considering the idea as “a lie”.

A spokesman for Vincent Tan’s Berjaya said the company was not aware of the conversation referenced by Bloomberg, while the National Palace, as well as Country Garden and Genting had not responded to their queries at press time.

Busted flush

Forest City, which was described as “beleaguered”, is a sprawling luxury condominium development built on reclaimed land, but has failed to gain traction, leaving many visitors and residents to compare it to a “ghost town”.

The master developer of the property is a joint venture, of which China company Country Garden owns the majority.

It is currently part of a discussion to set up a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) with Singapore, which would give residents passport-free access between Singapore and the SEZ.

A memorandum of understanding regarding the SEZ talks was signed between Singapore and Malaysia in January 2024, but it is not clear whether the talks are likely to be successful.

Country Garden is reported by Bloomberg to be enthusiastic about the idea of a casino in Forest City.

Calling the bluff

But many hurdles stand in the way, as implied by Anwar’s quick dismissal of the report.

Malaysia is a conservative country which generally frowns upon gambling.

The country has a single casino licence, the Genting Highlands resort licensed by, predictably, the Genting Group, who also operates Resorts World, one of Singapore’s two casinos.

The location of Forest City is likely to be attractive in part due to its proximity to Singapore, especially if it eventually becomes part of a SEZ which would allow easier access between it and Singapore.

Such a development would likely present Anwar with a dilemma.

Likely unpopular in Malaysia

On the one hand approving a new casino licence is likely to be unpopular with Malaysia's, conservative Muslim majority population, already on edge from several perceived attacks on the religion.

On the other hand the casino might provide a cash-strapped Malaysian government a badly needed new source of revenue.

But what is left unsaid is what would Singapore's reaction be to the new development.

Singapore attempts to place restrictions on gambling by its own citizens, imposing a S$150 entry fee for Singaporean citizens to access casinos in the country.

If a casino is set up just outside its national boundaries, with the intention of syphoning casino patrons, both tourist and Singaporeans, it is unlikely to look favourably on its prospects, and might impact considerations on approving a SEZ.

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Top image via Anwar Ibrahim and Forest City 森林城市/Facebook