A BACKBENCHER supports the government's plan to allow sports betting.
Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin (BN-Kinbatangan) said the government should set up a place for non-Malays to bet legally as they wanted it.
"Everyone knows that football fans place bets on games with bookies. It is a billion-ringgit business.
"There is nothing wrong with the government wanting to legalise sports betting and obtain revenue through taxes," he said during the debate on the 10th Malaysia Plan.
Bung Mokhtar said the opposition to sports betting centred on Muslim sentiment.
"I don't think this should be a problem. Just ban Muslims from taking part. We live in a multi-racial society and we should take into consideration the feelings of non-Muslims."
Opposition members criticised him for taking such a position.
Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak) and Datuk Mahfuz Omar (Pas-Pokok Sena) said the Chinese did not want sports betting.
Yusmaidi Yusoff (PKR-Balik Pulau) said Bung Mokhtar was only looking at how the government could benefit by legalising a business controlled by the "black economy".
"But one must look at the social consequences or the impact of legalising sports betting on society."
Bung Mokhtar said the government had a responsibility to ensure that non-Muslims could bet on sports.
Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman (BN-Pasir Salak) said he opposed the plan. "I don't think we can stop Muslims from betting on sports.
"The government can't even stop Muslims from betting on four-digit games or lotto games."
Tajuddin said legalising betting would not resolve the problem of borrowing from loan sharks to gamble.
Bung Mokhtar replied that Tajuddin was entitled to his views.
"But I think it is wrong for the government not to provide the facility for non-Muslims who want to bet on sports."
Earlier, opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the government was contradicting itself on the issue.
"It had said it hoped to get RM4 billion in revenue from sports betting but the prime minister said the government had not issued a licence to Ascot Sports."
Parti Cinta Malaysia vice-president Huang Cheng Guan took a swipe at the opposition, especially DAP, for behaving more Islamic than Pas.
He said Malaysia was suffering from the "kiasu syndrome" when it came to sports betting.
"Singapore has legalised football betting and gambling with the setting up of two casinos and here we are progressing backwards. Sports betting should be allowed as Malaysia is a multi-racial country. Some take this activity as fun and those who do not want it don't have to take part in it."
By V. Vasudevan and Eileen Ng
nst.com.my
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