Guan Eng says Najib’s gaming reversal proves Pakatan right
By The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, June 26 — DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng today praised Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s decision not to issue a football betting licence as being in line with Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) stand on the matter.
He said Najib’s move to withdraw a permit issued earlier to Tan Sri Vincent Tan’s Ascot Sports Sdn Bhd was a correct decision which coincided with the stand of PR state governments.
Lim (picture) , who is also Penang Chief Minister, said Najib’s reversal was proof that his PR state government was right to ban any existing gaming outlet from offering football betting.
Last night, Najib capitulated to popular public opinion when he announced the government will not issue a football betting licence, weeks after tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan said his Ascot Sports Sdn Bhd had received approval for an old licence.
Najib said the government had earlier agreed to issue the sports betting licence but with strict condition such as banning Muslim involvement in the activity.
On whether Ascot Sports would be compensated Najib said there is no such requirement in the law.
The football betting issue had sparked protest from various groups, including from within Umno. But the government had appeared adamant earlier to proceed with the issuing of the licence, with Cabinet ministers and BN parties campaigning heavily for the idea of football betting.
In reversing the decision, Najib has conceded his government’s unwillingness to risk political capital on football betting.
This is the latest in a series of policy reversals which has marked Najib’s administration since he took office last April.
“It is a good decision. We were criticised heavily over our stand,” DAP’s Lim said today in Penang.
He also dismissed suggestions made earlier that legalising football betting was actually one method to control illegal bookmaking activities.
“We cannot simply legalise something. Take for instance, sand mining. It is claimed that such illegal activities were going on and a high volume was exported to Singapore. Should we legalise sand mining then?” he asked.
The answer to curbing illegal activities, he said, was in enforcement. Tan’s listed Berjaya Corporation Berhad had announced the approval for a football betting licence in a filing to Bursa Malaysia last May 12 but Najib denied it in Parliament on June 7.
