Dear PAS, legalised sports betting an issue? So what about the other forms of Gambling

updated.

This is an excerpt from The Malaysian Insider titled - PAS Youth: Ascot Sports to focus on four leagues:

“PAS will mobilise Malaysians to join its “100,000 march” to the Istana Negara this July 3 in protest over the Najib administration’s legalisation of sports-betting. The party’s annual general assembly saw a motion unanimously passed in favour of PAS’ tough stance on sports-betting.

The motion was tabled by the Islamist party’s youth wing to “pressure the Malaysian government to abolish sports-betting, tighten laws against betting as well as educate Malaysians to reject betting.”

Pas Youth Chief Nasrudin also denied newspaper reports quoting the PAS Youth wing as “unwilling” to push for a full ban of all types of betting.

“To be clear what we mean is that we agree that all forms of gambling, betting should be banned but for now we will focus our efforts on sports-betting,” said Nasrudin.”

Read the rest here.

I think that PAS sudah tidak ada modal politik and playing shameless politics when it selectively choose sports betting to protest against the BN Government decision to award the license to Ascot Sports owned by Vincent Tan next July 3rd.

Among others, Vincent Tan also owns over 680 gaming outlets through out Malaysia including the Pakatan controlled state of Penang, Kedah, Selangor and Kelantan as well, via, Sports TOTO Malaysia Sdn. Bhd (Berjaya Sports Toto Berhad) where non muslims can gamble in games – digit-type games (namely, 4D, 5D and 6D) and lotto-type games (namely, Toto 6/42 Jackpot, Super Toto 6/49, Mega Toto 6/52). Why not protest against these outlets as well?

If PAS really wants to seriously send a believable and sincere political message against the “legalized” gambling industry in Malaysia, then, PAS must declare its opposition to all forms of gambling; which include the Cassino in Genting, slot machines, 4D/3D betting and all forms of lotteries and not forgetting horse race betting as well. If not, PAS, in their haste to check the UMNO led BN Government who are slowly but surely getting back Malay Muslim votes, only exposed themselves to be a cakap tak serupa bikin crowd and super hypocritical to boot.

I say the “100,000 march” is a political gimmick which will only benefit the illegal underground mega gambling industry crime lords who does not pay income tax to the Government.

One of my cyber sifus, Blogger HL has also written about PAS/Pakatan selective protest of legalised sports-betting here, interesting read as usual.