KUALA LUMPUR: Plans are afoot to reduce the number of Tuesday special draws by number forecast operators, said Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng (pic).

"The Government plans to reduce the number of special draws for all number forecast operators in 2019," he said when replying to a question raised by Wong Shj Qi (PH-Kluang) in Parliament on Tuesday (Aug 7).

Lim said announcement of this new policy will be made during the tabling of the Budget 2019 on Nov 2.

He noted that the previous government had approved 22 Tuesday special draws this year for operators such as Magnum, Sports Toto and Da Ma Cai.

"The move to reduce the number of special draws is to cut down on the number of gambling days, so that gambling activities will not lead to social ills such as gambling addiction," he said.

He said the new policy comes in light of complaints that the special draws were a burden to society.

Lim told lawmakers that the special draw was initiated by the government in 1999 to help raise funds during the Nipah Virus.

He said RM80.4mil in sin tax was collected from the draws in 1999.

However, he said revenue collected from the draws had increased to RM238mil in 2017 or averaging RM200mil a year after 1999.

Lim said revenue collected from the draws were managed through a trust fund for social development programmes beneficial to society and the nation.