KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 — The Malaysian Muslim Youth Movement (Abim) today joined the growing number of opponents to the sports betting licence issued to Berjaya Group’s Ascot Sports Sdn Bhd, citing negative effects of gambling to Malaysians.
Abim president Muhamad Razak Idris urged the government to provide a public explanation as to why it has awarded a sports-betting licence and to review the World Cup 2010 betting licence amid public outcry.
“Abim would like repeat its insistence that the government withdraw its World Cup 2010 betting license awarded to the Berjaya Group,” Muhamad Razak said in a press statement.
He said Abim supported the statement made by former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi urging the government to review the licensing grant to Ascot Sports.
Ascot Sports is owned by tycoon Tan Sri Vincent Tan and will be acquired by the Berjaya Group — also controlled by Tan. Berjaya will take a 70 per cent stake in Ascot.
“Abim believes that it is time for the government to give a public explanation to the concerns, demands and objections voiced by many parties including NGOS, football associations and community activists,” he added.
Muhamad Razak said that the uproar against legalising gambling should “give a clear message” to the government.
“The objections towards the betting licence should give a clear message to the leaders of the country that the public is concerned over implications and negative effects of gambling to the society.
“In this context, Abim has sent a memorandum of concern to Muftis across the country since last week in an effort to urge the government to withdraw the licence. Abim has also called the religious authorities to take actions against Muslims involved in gambling activities,” the Abim leader said.
He added that illegal betting has already begun before the World Cup and legalising it would not deter gambling and encourage it further.
Muhammad Razak also called on the government to intensify its enforcement to prevent Muslims from engaging in illegal betting as it is forbidden in Islam.
“Therefore Abim would like to urge the Home Ministry, police, local authorities and Islamic religious departments to intensify monitoring, enforcement and combat any form of illegal gambling during the World Cup. Abim would also like to call upon Muslims all over the country to avoid any form of gambling and betting as it will destroy individual character, integrity of the family institution, the society and especially the economic system.
“Any forms gambling and betting is forbidden in Islam. It clearly damages the family institution. Based on this principle, Abim absolutely oppose the efforts to embrace the elements of gambling among all levels of society in this country,” he said.
The Najib administration’s recent move in legalising sports betting ahead of the World Cup next month has brought stinging criticism from the public.
DAP has accused Najib of “cronyism” for awarding Tan the sports betting licence without an open tender process, saying that it sounded the “death knell” to his New Economic Model, which was supposed to eliminate rent-seeking and patronage.
In contrast, Abdullah had rejected the Finance Ministry’s proposal to legalise sports betting during his reign as prime minister.
In Malaysia, illegal bookmaking activities are estimated to be worth up to RM20 billion a year.
Pakatan Rakyat leaders have accused BN of legalising sports betting as a means to boost flagging revenues amidst a wide deficit gap ahead of the 2010 Fifa World Cup in June.
The government’s latest decision has hit a raw nerve with sections of the Malay community, who have started protesting in mosques over the perceived dangers of the legalisation of sports betting.
