Pakatan wagers image against sports betting

Pakatan Rakyat is gambling on its anti-sports betting stand to burnish its credentials — especially among the Malay electorate — ahead of the next general election, which may come as early as next year.

They are also hoping for enough Chinese support in their campaign against further expansion of the gambling industry, already saturated with numbers gaming and horse-race betting.

Although the recent Hulu Selangor and Sibu by-elections saw a shift in Chinese support towards Pakatan Rakyat (PR), despite Barisan Nasional (BN) doling out the usual goodies like cash handouts and infrastructure development, Malay voters have mostly remained in favour of the ruling coalition.

“I think there is general support for our position,” Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong told The Malaysian Insider.

“Many Muslims are against betting. Women especially are against betting… as it eats into the family household income,” he added.

The Malaysian Insider