Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor told the state legislative assembly that his decision to ban number-betting operators in the state was not a form of racism or human rights abuse.

In his winding-up speech for the debate on the state's budget for 2022, Sanusi said there are no studies that showed that gambling was beneficial.

He added that even China has banned gambling since 1949, while ignoring the fact that China has two state-run lotteries.