Saturday sports- but no betting please.

I have written about this sports betting thing a few articles ago. I said, this sports betting licence has made the vendor RM 525 million richer. That's RM 525,000,000. Six zeroes. You are likely to strain your eyeballs keeping track of the many zeroes.

How do you explain the government's willingness to approve the license first, to Ascot Sports which then sells the license to Berjaya Sports TOTO? Wasn't this SPORTS TOTO the company once owned by the government which Dr Mahathir sold to Vincent Tan in 1985? Wouldn't it be more proper if the license be given to Berjaya Sports Toto. Instead its sold to Ascot Sports owned by Vincent Tan( 70%) and his son Robin 30%. So our friend VT sold his 70%. Hurrah! ( Exclaimed in the manner of Prince George in Black Adder)

What about the 30%? The father is more charitable. The son is no so. That has only added fuel that perhaps the son is holding the 30% for someone else. I am not able to write this up in a more spirited and satirical manner. The blogger who is a maestro in doing this kind of writing is Donplaypuks. Go read his blog with an open mind, respect the fact and his freedom to write for the opposition.

Vincent Tan would have been more charitable if he had given the licence back to the government and even better, gives back Sports Toto. It hasn't been making money so why bother anyway?

But it is the drama surrounding the issuance of the license that has proven to be more interesting. The hunt is more adrenalin rushing that the actual shooting. The foreplay is more exhilarating. Vincent Tan told the SC he has been given a license. Everyone in Malaysia were up in arms. Friday sermons condemned the issuance of the sports. Even UMNO people were against it. The MB of Johor was against it. Some UMNO people in Melaka have openly condemned it. Tamrin Ghafar writes a scathing personal letter against it.

Other than the condemnations being directed at the sports betting license itself- these are actually defiance directed at the UMNO president. Which suggests that despite having a 72% approval rating, his approval within UMNO is challenged. In any case, his 72% approval rating is evinced from the jobless who if I may say so, have little inkling about the seriousness and complexities of governance. It's definitely more than putting up a smiling face, trying to look pristine and saintly or operating a face book brother!.

By the way, I hear my and your PM is inviting people to name his cat. Wow- just like a previous American President. Perhaps our PM was inspired after his US visit. Perhaps the people at APCO, Ethos, McKinsey or the Bolton Consulting Group say, this is a good move. Make the people feel one and inclusive. Another wow please. So, I would suggest, in the spirit of an open heart, if the cat is a male- named him TEMUJIN- so that it grows big and powerful to conquer the household and catches after the big-as-cat rats. If it's a female, suggest our PM to name it BORTE- the lady behind TEMUJIN. The people at APCO should advise the PM to do this to show that he is not afraid of anything Mongolian!

After the big hoo-haa, My Prime Minister and yours too has said that it's not complete yet. No license has been given but yet VT has told the securities commission that he has been given one. So has VT misled the SC?

Why don't we just own up- this Berjaya sports toto or whatever ruse we play along, through and with Vincent Tan and his companies is just another way to launder money which end up , with either UMNO or its leaders eventually. To make it halal and kosher, we call it welfare- kebajikan and so secure tax free status.

Everyone who are pro the sports betting license are saying legalising it will stem out illegal betting. My friend, mon ami, amigos- the illegal betting, the 4 ekor kah, 3 ekor kah or berapa ekor tak kira lah, will mushroom still. They will because they are not ready to allow ONLY one fellow making the money and certainly will not allow only ONE government to legislate a license and conspire with ONE Fellow. This is a greater subsidy than the nonsense Idris Jala is spewing up and no, we are saying this not because Idris Jala is a Christian. A Christian can also do stupid things cant he? If he were a Muslim, I would still crucify him.

I have already asked in light of the government's willingness to issue this license to legalise also prostitution. That will reduce or eliminate illegal prostitution. We must emulate what's going on in South Africa. During this World Cup tournament, I hear the most thriving business involves balls of different kind- multi nationals and united by a common drive! In this case, Newton's secret law of motion is being played out- the angle of the dangle of the balls is proportional to the thrust of the pole at the hole, provided pressure at the breasts is kept constant.

I learnt this in UM in 1976!