Tak Boleh Lesen Judi Sukan.. Kasino pula yang nak dibina..

Biarpun cadangannya untuk mengeluarkan lesen judi bolasepak mendapat tentangan dari segenap lapisan masyarakat terutamanya dari Pakatan Rakyat beliau telah menarik balik cadangan tersebut biarpun ada pihak yang mendakwa kelulusan telah dikeluarkan oleh Kementerian Kewangan..

Kini kedengaran pula berita yang mengatakan bahawa Sebuah Kasino telah dicadangkan untuk dibina Karambunai IR Sabah disamping pembinaan taman tema air untuk memastikan pulangan dari pelaburan (ROI)yang dilakukan dapat diperolehi semula dengan kadar segera..

Jika benar sebagaimana yang didakwa Malaysia akan mempunyai Kasino yang kedua di Sabah.Bagaimanapun ianya bergantung kepada penerimaan masyarakat Malaysia..

Aduh... tak serik-serik Najib ni.. seterusnya korang bacalah kat bawah ni...


Casino option on table for Sabah under Najib’s ETP
By Yow Hong Chieh

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 21 — Malaysia appears to have jumped on the integrated resort (IR) bandwagon with the unveiling today of a proposed 500-acre “eco-nature” resort in Sabah by Pemandu at the Economic Transformation Plan (ETP) open day here.

Sources told The Malaysian Insider that the option to build a casino is on the table for the Karambunai IR — alongside a mangrove centre, water theme park and waterfront properties — to ensure a higher return on investment (ROI).

Although the presentation panels for the development made no mention of any casino, they repeatedly referenced Singapore’s highly successful Marina Bay Sands as well as Resort World Manila in the Philippines and Vietnam’s Ho Tram Strip — all of which are casino-anchored IRs.

One illustration, entitled “Case for Change”, argued that Malaysia lagged behind regional competitors in tapping into the strong demand for IRs from countries like China, Indonesia and Thailand, and pointed out that Singapore had already seen a 21 per cent increase in tourist arrivals since opening Marina Bay Sands and Resort World Singapore.

The Malaysian Insider also understands that if a casino is built as part of the Karambunai IR, international players such as The Sands might be roped in to run it rather than local operator Genting.

However, it remains to be seen how the public will take to what would be Malaysia’s second official casino given the strong popular opposition shown earlier this year to Tan Sri Vincent Tan’s abortive attempt to introduce football betting.

Berjaya Corp reported on May 12 that the government had re-issued the licence to Tan-owned Ascot Sports Sdn Bhd after the original licence was cancelled by the previous Abdullah administration.

The gaming, property and hospitality group told Bursa Malaysia in a filing that it intended to acquire Tan’s 70 per cent stake in Ascot for RM525 million. The tycoon’s son — Datuk Robin Tan Yeong Ching — would have retained control of his 30 per cent stake.

Vincent Tan’s attempt to legalise punting on the beautiful game was spun by the Najib administration as the best way to increase government revenue while reining in illegal bookmaking activities, estimated to be worth up to RM20 billion a year.

However, a concerted anti-gambling campaign run mainly by opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) stirred up moral sentiment against any widening of legalised gambling and torpedoed any chances the gaming tycoon had of renewing his licence.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak finally capitulated to popular public opinion when he announced on June 25 that the government would not issue a football betting licence, weeks after Tan said Ascot had received approval for an old licence.


The Malaysian Insider