Resort holds a gaming permit not casino licence, says manager

PETALING JAYA: The Bukit Tinggi Resort management has blamed certain parties for politicising the issue of its slot machines centre that led to confusion over the resort’s gaming licence. 

Its general manager Teh Ming Wah said the Government had never granted the resort, located in Bentong, Pahang, a casino permit but a gaming licence to operate up to 250 slot machines. 

“The management had on several occasions clarified that the resort would not be operating a casino but a gaming centre with slot machines. 

“It is unfortunate that certain parties have misconstrued and sought to politicise this matter, leading to comments and allegations made in the media with little regard for factual accuracies. 

“This distortion of facts has resulted in a totally inaccurate impression and perception by the public that the resort has been granted a casino licence,” she said in a statement yesterday. 

Teh added that the management had suspended the operations of the gaming centre pending clarification with the Finance Ministry on the terms and conditions of the licence. 

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad refuted claims that the Government had issued a casino licence to the resort owned by the Berjaya group, adding that no such licence had been or would be issued in the future. 

The controversy first surfaced last month when Harakah, a PAS publication, front-paged a report that Pahang was turning into “a Darul Kasino (abode for casinos).” 

Currently, there are about 20 slot machines in the gaming centre located in Colmar Tropicale, a French theme resort located within Bukit Tinggi.  

In Kuantan, Pahang Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob said the state government sold its interest in Bukit Tinggi Resort about two years ago. 

Responding to a claim by PAS that the state government had 45.546 million shares in the resort, Adnan said the government had held a stake in the resort through Pasdec Corporation, a subsidiary of Pahang State Development Corporation.  

However, Pasdec sold its shares after realising that the resort would make slot machines as one of its business activities, he told reporters after opening the 17th Town and Country Planning senior officials meeting at the Hyatt Regency Hotel yesterday.