Hipokrasi PAS Dalam Isu Judi Piala Dunia

Di Malaysia langkah terbaru kerajaan memberikan lesen perjudian Piala Bola Sepak Dunia telah juga menerima bantahan terutama dari Pas tetapi tentangan PAS dilihat lebih bersifat hipokrasi kerana jika bangsa dan maruah agama pun sanggup dijual maka apalah ertinya penentangan Pas terhadap perjudian kecuali untuk menutup mata pengikut-pengikutnya yang fanatik tentang kenajisannya sekarang dan mengelirukan seluruh umat Islam di negara ini.

Parti ini pura-pura menentang perjudian tetapi bersekongkol dengan parti yang ADUNnya bertelanjang dan juga berketuakan pengamal homosekual malah, Menteri Besar Kelantan Nik Aziz menganggap perbuatan telanjang seorang ADUN Selangor sebagai hak individu.

Kita telah pasti bahawa perjudian haram bola sepak pastinya tidak akan dapat dihapuskan sama sekali di zaman dunia dikuasai oleh Internet ini tetapi apakah salah jika sekiranya dikuatkuasakan mekanisme yang boleh mengurangkan operasi judi haram itu. Mana yang lebih baik membenarkan dengan kawalan dengan membiarkannya bermaharajalela tanpa dilesenkan yang akan menyebabkan rakyat terdedah kepada penipuan dan penyelewengan dan menggalakkan rasuah yang lebih besar di kalangan pihak yang berkuasa; polis dan sebagainya.

Tidak melesenkannya bererti kita membiarkannya tanpa kawalan dan adalah mustahil bagi pihak polis yang terbeban dengan berbagai jenayah akan dikerahkan pula untuk menjalankan operasi judi haram.

Sekarang pun tidak dapat dinafikan ada pihak berkuasa yang terlibat “menutup mata” ke atas perjudian haram dalam berbagai bagai cara. Apabila yang haram dihalalkan maka akan lebih mudah untuk dikawal selia dan pastinya akan mengurangkan yang haram sekalipun tidak dapat dihapuskan sama sekali. Apakah salah jika pun tidak dapat dihapuskan, kita dapat mengurangkan?

Harus disedari negara ini bukan hanya didiami oleh orang Islam maka itu kesempatan harus digunakan untuk mencari wang dari orang bukan Islam dengan menghalalkan apa yang halal bagi mereka. Umpamanya kita memberikan lesen menjual daging babi di tempat yang khusus. Jika orang Islam nak makan juga maka makanlah.

Wang haram dari perjudian itu bolehlah digunakan untuk membantu masyarakat Cina terutamanya Sekolah Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina yang merupakan benteng kebudayaan Cina. Perjudian adalah sebahagian dari budaya Cina yang sangat dicintai oleh masyarakatnya.

Bagaimanapun pencegahannya di kalangan orang Islam di negara ini sudah sedia dikuatkuasakan melalui Enakmen/Akta Jenayah Syariah oleh Jabatan Agama Islam negeri/wilayah masing-masing. Tetapi jika orang Islam nak berjudi juga secara bersembunyi di tempat yang rahsia atau di luar negara, maka apalah daya pihak berkuasa agama Islam di Malaysia. Bagi orang Islam yang membeli tiket-tiket judi dari premis-premis yang dilesenkan oleh PBT negeri masing-masing, jika Kerajaan negeri pun tidak menghalangnya (dengan tindakan tidak membatalkan lesen premis tempat judi) jika mereka tidak dicekup atau ditangkap oleh penguatkuasa agamapun, bukanlah bermakna mereka (penjudi) juga turut terlepas dari dosa agama.

Should football betting be legalised?
Tay Tian Yan

From the moral point of view, I could only raise my hand halfway, agreeing but with some reservation.

But from the economic point of view, I am all for it.

I visited Norwich in England several years ago, at a time when the city was hosting an English Premier League game.

I was no football fan, but the game drove the entire city’s emotions high as it would mean whether the home team could eventually remain in the League or not.

So I joined the crowd to head into the stadium.

I took my dinner at the club’s restaurant before the match started.

When I was just seated, someone handed me a form, a betting form at a closer look.

All types of betting options: Which team would win the game? How’s the score? Which team would lead in first half? Who would score the first goal?

You could choose whichever item and whichever amount to bet.

With no experience at all in football betting, I was taken in, thinking of joining in the fun.

There came the tough question: How much to bet?

I was confounded. I had seen Malaysians betting, from tens to thousands of ringgit.

But in England, I shouldn’t be too stingy even though I was just there to join in the fun.

So I took out a £20 (RM96) bill in my pocket and drew a few circles on the form.

Seeing what I did, my English friend asked in perplexity, “Did you really support Norwich that much? Why did you bet so much?”

Good grief! I had no clue what jerseys they were wearing nor any single football star from the team.

And, was £20 really that much? I had no idea.

Humbly I enquired: “How much do you normally bet each time?”

“Usually five pounds, not more than ten.”

“That’s little! We don’t bet this way in Malaysia. I won’t feel anything different even if I win!”

“Football is a part of our life, and betting is just to show our support for our favourite team. Of course, it also puts our judgement to test.

“We call that betting. Not gambling.”

I lost my £20 in the end, but had picked up a valuable lesson in football culture.

Illegal betting has been pushing betting activities underground, allowing it to become a risky money game. Many unwanted elements surviving on underground activities have been spawned along the way.

A student who has fallen into the trap of these people will find himself in massive debts. An office worker in debt will end up misappropriating his company’s funds while a petty trader will have to turn to loan sharks for instant settlement of his betting debts.

Legalised betting makes the entire exercise a whole lot more open and transparent, allowing it to become a controlled operation.

Betting companies will have their accounts open for public scrutiny, and are obliged to pay their income taxes.

Of course, the most ideal approach is not to give the whole thing to one single company, but establish a public welfare management institution like the Hong Kong Jockey Club, which not only pays income taxes but also channels some of its profits for the benefit of underprivileged organisations.

For instance, as the Chinese people make up the bulk of bettors here, part of the proceeds should go to Chinese primary schools and independent secondary schools.

What do you say?