FreeMalaysiaToday Sat, 26 Jun 2010 By Hawkeye
GEORGE TOWN: Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng is demanding an apology from MCA and MIC over the latter’s apparent move to roundly criticised him over Penang’s contentious decision to ban sports betting.
The retraction by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak had liberated Pakatan Rakyat which had earlier condemned the move to legalise sports betting and took action when Penang and Selangor ban any gaming outlets from offering betting packages.
He said that he together with Pakatan became victims of baseless and wild accusations when Penang was the first state to ban sports betting.
With Najib’s decision, “it is only fair that the detractors such as MCA and MIC apologise to the Penang government including me”, Lim said.
Najib yesterday revoked an earlier decision by the Finance Ministry to legalise sports betting in the country, which was approved on the pretext of controlling illegal gaming activities which had reportedly ballooned to RM10 million in the underground economy.
“It is an unprecedented move. A shocking move! Najib seems to support Pakatan on this matter. It is a good decision. We (Pakatan) did not see this coming as earlier MCA, MIC and former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad had supported the move to legalise sports betting,” Lim told a press conference.
On how to reign in the lucrative illegal betting industry, Lim said the only answer is through enforcement.
“We cannot simply legalise something which is wrong. We have a sand-mining issue recently where some folk had illegally exported sand to Singapore from Johor. Should we legalise sand mining then? We have some Umno leaders who speak from one side of the mouth but think another thing. These are double standards and we cannot condoned this,” Lim said.
He hopes Najib’s move would put an end to the issue as it is clear that majority of the people do not support the move to legalise sports betting.