'I can see that it (the gaming licence) will just end up in the hands of cronies, who will make huge ‘donations' to Umno to finance their war-chest for GE13.'

PM's lips sealed on sports betting, Perkasa

Beetle Ibrahim: The katak claims that he fights for Islam, Malays and the rulers, but when it comes to the ill-treatment of the royal family of Kelantan and the sports betting licence, he is exceptionally quiet.

Katak , please stop deceiving the rakyat with your racist's statement. It will not work. The rakyat knows your ‘game' and will not fall for it. We, the rakyat, are against gambling and the government needs to explain to the people why additional draws are allowed for ‘empat ekor', and why the licence is issued to Umno's crony Vincent Tan.

Let's come together and support the July 3 protest.

Multi Racial: In Hulu Selangor, Umno make a big issue of Zaid Ibrahim's past record on his ownership of racehorses. Now the same government issues yet another gaming licence to Vincent Tan...

Phoenix Star 88: While I respect the fact that gambling is forbidden in Islam, restrictions in gambling should not be imposed on non-Muslims. Legal football betting would still remain off-limits to Muslims like other existing forms of legal betting.

I understand the harmful side effects of gambling on non-Muslim individuals and families, but what one does with his or her money is their personal choice. Civil liberties are at stake here.

Good men: I think Pheonix Star 88 is right about the gambling issue. Besides, if you don't have a legal version that can be monitored, and you ban it, all you do is push it underground. There, it is controlled by the underworld and ends up as a very lucrative cash machine for organised crime.

I think we need to be realistic in that we know we don't have the manpower to police such a ban. So the pragmatic option is to legalise it and earn some money for the country. But I can see that it will just end up in the hands of cronies, who will make huge ‘donations' to Umno to finance their war-chest for GE13.

Artchan: After gambling, maybe they should also legalise prostitution, and there is no need to have raids, and all income can be taxed ... and also dog racing, cock fighting, kickboxing. Plenty of taxes, huh?

Ghkok: As a staunch Buddhist, I am deeply opposed to legalising and widening the availability of gambling (whether sports-related or otherwise). Widespread gambling will lead to deterioration of the society and the economy.

The existing 2D/3D gambling should be enough (in fact it is already too widespread). It is the responsibility of the government to curb the spread of gambling by withholding any further licences, but it is also the responsibility of religious and societal groups to embark on campaigns to discourage gambling - the emphasis should be on developing a mind that is free of excessive greed and want.

Ozhero: Just think about this for one second. Vincent Tan and his group's recent purchase of a controlling stake in Cardiff City (by the way, Cardiff City is in the playoff for the Premier League) ... and all of a sudden, legalised sports betting. It's all about securing funding for the next GE.

Just imagine how much betting is done on Premier League matches. The potential upside to a Cardiff City promotion is tremendous. It's not going to be taps that we are going to open, it's going to be floodgates.

Daniel Tan: So much for an Islamic state propagated by BN. Allowing more betting, besides being the only Islamic country having a casino, makes a mockery of the religion. Unless of course, this is not about religion, but about corruption or under table money for political funding.

We all know who Vincent Tan is - a money machine for Umno, and someone desperately needed by Umno to save itself before the next GE.

Ubi Wan Kenobi: The stock market is actually the worst form of gambling. People get wiped out gambling with shares. I am all for banning addictive financial speculation like trading in derivatives, commodities and futures. This is what will ultimately reduce the whole world to abject poverty.

Gk: Najib should publish the gambling statistics on the composition by race, or if no such statistics, carry a survey to study this gambling habit. Simple, just stand outside a 4D outlets for one hour, and you get the answer.

People like Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin will think twice after this to regard himself as 'Malay first, Malaysian second'.

Gordon Gecko: In Shah Alam, Umno made so much noise about the sale of beer in 7Eleven outlets, but on the issue of football betting, their lips are sealed like their political masters. What a bunch of hypocrites! Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarnor was whip for consuming liquor and this was made into a big issue.

If the betting is off-limits to Muslims, why don't JAIS (Selangor Islamic Religious Department) conduct their "operasi" on all the betting outlets all over the Klang Valley on every Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday? I'm sure there will be thousands of Kartikas to be charged and whipped.

Is the Najib government worried by the falling revenues from their Chinese (Magnum, Toto) and Indian (Da Ma Cai) cronies? Not enough funds to buy over the Pakatan Rakyat frogs?

I am a Chinese but in this case, I fully support PAS to ban the football betting because ultimately it's the Chinese families who are going to suffer the most.

Louis: Already there are so many betting outlets dealing in 4Ds and Lotto, why must the government allow another one? Giving the excuse that legalising football betting would reduce or eliminate illegal betting is a lame excuse.

Betting on 4digits has been legalised and yet the number of illegal bookies keeps growing. Gambling and betting is not only forbidden in Islam but in all other religions. As such, all other NGOs or religious bodies should give their support to their Muslim friends against legalising football betting.

Jefferson76: Well, what to do? No money to siphon off from Selangor or Penang; GST (goods and services tax) is temporarily shelved. So they have to resort to this. How else are they going to save enough for future by-elections and the mother of them all - the general election? It's also good for buying over more PKR representatives.

Susah Kes: Najib's refusal to reply on Perkasa just adds credence to the argument that he is also making use of Perkasa to play the good-cop, bad-cop role. Najib probably realises that he actually needs Perkasa now, with the strategy being that they can help him get the Malay votes, which he needs seeing that Chinese votes are not with him.

Ferdtan: Najib in his discussion with Perkasa and Vincent Tan may go like this: "Do we have a deal? I help you and you help me."