'More social ills with soccer gambling legalised'

The opposition today came out strongly against the announcement in the Senate yesterday that the government was seriously considering legalising soccer betting.

Deputy Finance Minister Dr Awang Hussein Sidek in replying to Senator Ng Fook Heng had said that since illegal betting during the coming soccer World Cup would amount to millions of ringgit, the government was considering legalising football betting.

However, he did not disclose when the decision would be finalised.

PAS’s Kuala Selangor member of Parliament Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad ( left )said today that gambling problems have affected the communities in his constituency.

"The fishing village in Bagan comprises of older people who have been gambling. But with the increasing number of betting draws, even they have complained to me," he said, adding more objections could be expected with legalised soccer betting.

He said that the villagers told him the increase of in the draw frequency from twice to thrice a week was proving difficult for them to resist and hence they losing more money.

However, he was quick to add that the intention was not to ban all forms of gambling.

"We do not want to ban gambling but the government has to be responsible and control the practice lest it becomes excessive and burdens the poor," he clarified.

Desperate housewives

Sekinchan state assembly person Ng Suee Lim concurred and said that extreme gambling was causing families to fall apart.

"In my area, we have three traditional Chinese New Villages where gambling is the norm. But with the availability and the increase of the draw frequency, it has contributed to more problems," he said.

Most of the gamblers in his area, he revealed, were housewives.

"They spend all the money given to them by their husbands on gambling. When the husband finds out, it leads to heated arguments," he said, adding the issue eventually affected whole families.  

PKR information chief Latheefa Koya ( right ) said the party strongly opposed legalising soccer betting as it will further cement social ills that are already affecting the people.

"Widespread soccer betting will directly attack the very moral fabric of a society that is already combating ills ranging from corruption, violent and sexual offences, domestic abuse and loan shark borrowing," she said in a press statement.

She added that there was no guarantee that legalising soccer gambling would see a drop in illegal betting.

"In fact, it may increase if the illegal bookies and ah long (loan sharks) offer better odds, terms and even loans," she said, pointing out that legalised soccer betting could also be one way for the government to get more of the rakyat ’s money.

Las Vegas clone

Meanwhile, PAS said the government’s move was akin to Umno turning Malaysia into another Las Vegas to compete with Singapore which recently launched one of its two gambling resorts ( below ).

"The recent financial crisis has blinded Umno and they are willing to do anything to increase their profit to fund the projects which were promised to the people in the last general election," PAS information chief Idris Ahmad said.

He urged the people to reject the pro-gambling policies being propagated by Umno. "We are confident that even without money from gambling, this country can successfully move forward," he said.