Statement (en & cn) by Tony Pua on Sports Betting
The award of a sports betting license to Berjaya Group marks a complete mockery and the end of “New Economic Model”
By Tony Pua
Malaysians are completely shocked that after all the hullaboo over Malaysia’s “New Economic Model”, the Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has directly awarded of a sports betting license to Berjaya Group helmed by Vincent Tan.
Malaysians are shocked because the Prime Minister has been harping on a new model of doing business in Malaysia whereby government business will be more transparent and competitive, and Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak has even promised Malaysians that he will no longer “tolerate rent-seeking and patronage” in his speech when launching the “New Economic Model”.
Within 2 months of his “earth-shaking” launch, Datuk Seri Najib has sounded the death knell to his own “New Economic Model”, by thrashing it into the rubbish dump by awarding the most lucrative multi-billion concession of the year to a well-known associate of BN top leadership, Tan Sri Vincent Tan.
Worse, it was done in the most opaque manner possible where there are no calls for proposals, no open tenders or auctions for the sports betting license! On what merit was Tan Sri Vincent Tan awarded this multi-billion gaming concession which will not only enrich him, but impoverish the rakyat by encouraging more gambling?
The non-Muslims community are already extremely unhappy with the excessive number of “special draws” by the existing gaming companies, including Berjaya Sports Toto. Now with legalised sports betting, it will only lead to greater social problems, mounting debt among those who are addicted to gambling.
But more importantly, the award of the new sports betting license together with the cronyistic award of mega projects to Naza TTDI to build Malaysia’s RM628 million largest exhibition and convention centre in exchange for a piece of land worth up to RM1.5 billion, the likely award of a 3,000 acres piece of land to MRCB, a RM320 million 20-year interest free unsecured loan to SYABAS has proven beyond doubt that the New Economic Model is utter bunkum.
The rakyat are angry because they are being taken for a ride by the Prime Minister who has promised many changes but he has instead shown that the Barisan Nasional government is completely incapable of change. The practice of cronyism, rent-seeking and patronage to vested interest parties is continuing is broad daylight with complete endorsement by Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak. The Prime Minister’s promise of ‘open tender’, ‘merit’ and fair competition
We call upon the Barisan Nasional government to immediately withdraw the award of the betting concession and set up a special Parliamentary Select Committee to review the impact of sports betting on Malaysians, and if and only if approved, then a open, transparent and competitive tender or auction must be called to ensure transparency and best “value for money” for the Government and Malaysians.
Tony Pua
民主行动党全国宣传秘书兼八打灵再也北区国会议员潘俭伟于2010年5月12日（星期三）在诗巫发表的声明：
成功集团获赌球执照象征“新经济模式”告终，简直让人贻笑大方！
当人民还对首相纳吉的“新经济模式”抱有一丝期待时，首 相竟然把赌球执照直接发予陈志远所执掌的成功集团，让人民感到震惊万分。
国人震惊乃因为首相在推介“新经济模式”时，曾经承诺 这个新的经商模式将会更加透明及具有竞争力。而且，首相甚至在其演词公开承诺其今后不会再允许任何人抄捷径以获取利益的方式。
然而，“新经济模式”推介迄今只有2个月，纳吉似乎有意把新经济模式当作一堆废纸丢进垃圾 桶，从而把每年可赚取数十亿计令吉的赌球执照，发给跟国阵高层领袖关系甚密的丹斯里陈志远。
更糟的是，这个赌球执照是在没有公开征求相关计划书、没 有公开招标的情况下发出！政府是基于何种考量发出这个每年可赚取数十亿计令吉的赌球执照，从而让丹斯里陈志远愈加富有，而 人民则因为有更多的管道赌博而更形贫穷？
非回教徒社群对于政府允许现有的博彩公司，包括成功集 团的多多博彩公司，增加太多的特别开彩日感到非常不满。如今，随着政府允许合法赌球，这将引发更严峻的社会问题，同时导致 那些沉迷于赌球者的债台高筑。
摆在眼前的事实，除了政府最近所发出的赌球执照之外，政 府早前批准价值15亿令吉转让予Naza TTDI来换取后者建设价值6亿2千800万令吉的全马最大型会展中心，以及政府即将批准把3千依格的一块地皮转让予马资源、发出20年免利息的3亿2千万令吉无担保贷款予雪州水供公司，未免让我们怀疑 “新经济模式”纯属空谈。
首相承诺要作出诸多改革，但国阵政府明显却未具改革决心，无 疑让人民感到失望及生气。政府还是一如既往地奉行朋党作风，并通过抄捷径的方式获取既得利益，显示纳吉公然允许既得利益集团光天化日 盗取人民的财富。首相所作的公开招标、绩效与公平竞争等承诺，简直就抛诸脑后了。
我们促请国阵政府立即收回上述赌球执照，同时设立国会 特别委员会重新检讨其对国人所构成的影响。如果国会特别委员会认为有必要发出赌球执照，那么，政府必须通过公开、透明与竞争的招标或 拍卖方式发出这张执照，以贯彻透明的原则并让政府与国人觉得物有所值。
