Licence Not Issued To Ascot Sports Yet - PM

KUALA LUMPUR, June 7 (Bernama) -- The government has yet to issue or give the licence to Syarikat Ascot Sports Sdn Bhd to carry out betting operations in Malaysia, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Najib, who is also the Finance Minister, said the government had also not finalised discussions on the licensing terms and conditions with the company to undertake bookie activities in Malaysia.

"The government is still getting feedback and views from the various quarters on the proposed licensing for a betting bookie in Malaysia aimed at reducing and subsequently eliminating unlicensed gambling in Malaysia," he said in his written reply to Tian Chua (PKR-Batu) at the Dewan Rakyat sitting, here Monday.

Tian Chua wanted to know what was the basis for the cabinet decision to revoke the gambling licence in 2004 and why was the decision being changed this year.

-- BERNAMA

Assist Government To Tackle Football Betting Issue - Hishammuddin

KUALA LUMPUR, June 7 (Bernama) -- State governments must stop speculations and contribute ideas to tackle the issue over the awarding of the football betting licence, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.

Hishammuddin said states must start offering new ideas to assist the government to make a better decision with regard to the issue.

"Rather than making noise from the outside, state governments can offer their suggestions and ideas to overcome black economy.

"The betting licence was approved a long time ago but it was made to look like it was only recently approved. They have also painted a negative picture saying the government encourages gambling," he told reporters after receiving a delegation from United Nation's (UN) Working Group on Arbitrary Detention (WGAD) led by El Hadji Maliek Sow from Senegal, at his office in Parliament here Monday.

People must understand that the licence was issued a long time ago and the Home Ministry is doing all it can to tackle the problem and one of the initiatives taken was to ask Bukit Aman CID Director Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Zinin and Commercial Crimes Investigations Director Datuk Koh Hong Sun to set up a special task force.

"The issue is closely related to black economy involving an estimated RM10 billion and related to illegal activities like human trafficking, illegal money laundering or Ah Long," he said.

So, apart from we increasing surveillance, monitoring and preventive measures, the state governments must also support such efforts by coming out recommendations to overcome the issue, he said.

Asked whether the government would be required to compensate those involved if the licence was withdrawn, Hishammuddin said: "The question of compensation does not arise as the licence was issued a long time ago."

The issue of legalising football betting hit a brick wall when Selangor, Penang and Kedah refused to allow such activities in their states although Ascot Sports were issued a sports-betting licence by the government.

Meanwhile, WGAD, a body mandated to investigate complaints of arbitrary deprivation of liberty is on a 12-day visit here to study the system and procedures enforced during arbitrary detention in Malaysia.

The four-member delegation will visit prisons, immigration detention camps, drug rehabilitation camps.

"Their presence here shows that Malaysia always observed human rights procedures in line with international requirements," he said.

-- BERNAMA