'With the DPM on the opposition's side, Najib will now face an additional dilemma of overcoming the onslaught from his deputy, and at the same time prevent an Umno revolt from the pro-Vincent Tan group.'

Johor Umno rejects betting in sports

Malaysiasakit: There are heaps of online sports betting and for someone intelligent, you'll have no problem accessing it. What the people are against is making available more and more avenues to gamble.

As it is, there are more than enough gambling outlets, e.g Big Sweep, 4D, Damacai, Toto, Genting and the many one-arm-bandit slot machine centres. Many families have been destroyed by gambling addicts - I know this very well because I grew up in a gambling family.

This is just like we know that cigarettes and alcohol are harmful and we want their sales to be restricted so that they are not freely available.

Anonymous: The DPM (Muhyiddin Yassin) is using Johor Umno to act against Najib Razak's indecisiveness in this sports betting issue. With the DPM on the opposition's side, Najib will now face an additional dilemma of overcoming the onslaught from his deputy, and at the same time prevent an Umno revolt from the pro-Vincent Tan group.

Their indebtedness to Vincent has gone too deep to be ignored. Najib, you are now walking on a high wire.

Victor Johan: Why the long wait, Umno? Oops, it's Johor Umno, with Abdul Ghani Othman abetting DPM Muhyiddin to oust PM Najib Abdul Razak. What a strategy! We already smell the rotten approach coming miles away.

Habib RAK: The split within Umno is getting clearer by the day. An implosion is on the horizons. Get your popcorn. The battle of the titans is about to start. But don't forget, within turmoils, you shall find opportunities.

Smile: Well done, Johor Umno. As an Umno member, I am very proud of your decision on sports betting. We need more support from other Umno states to show the rakyat that we care, appreciate their concern and accept their mandate to reject any form of betting in sports. 1Malaysia, Rakyat Diutamakan.

Multi Racial: This is a good decision by Johor Umno. But politicians need to do more if they want to continue to be relevant. They have to fight for the rakyat and not merely act as rubber stamps for their boss. Otherwise, they have to say goodbye, and this will be their last season as politicians.

Anonymous: This is just a sandiwara by Johor Umno - that they are against gambling when actually they have been receiving millions from Genting Highlands and Sports Toto all these years as part of 'Umno fund'.

StevenForMalaysia: I'm a Muarian and am proud of the Johor Umno decision provided it is not a sandiwara down the road. I'm presently a strong Pakatan Rakyat supporter and will reconsider my stand if more Umno leaders come clean and adopt 'Fair, Equal and Just' and 'Help all poor irrespective of race and religion' as their struggle.

Loyal Malaysian: The rakyat's opposition has an effect on the Umnoputras! They are breaking ranks.

Say 'no' to sports betting, urges ex-national footballer

Loganathan Suppiah Being an ex-footballer, it would be good if Encik Radhi Mat Din can reveal the damage gambling has done to the once beautiful game of football in this country.

I still remember the time when I was working in Chukai, Kemaman - there was a restaurant that was located next to a 4D shop. One could see on betting days, Malays - who were banned from patronising the 4D shops - would be in the restaurant having their tea and jotting down their lucky numbers and analysing the codes on the betting slip trying to identify the next winning number, while the runners - who were mostly Chinese ladies running between the betting shop and the restaurant - charged, if I am not mistaken, RM1 for every purchase. That was in 1998.

CarL: In football, we are where we are because of illegal betting. Mat Din should know a lot about that. I remember the time when fixing matches was as blatant as a player moving away when an attacker came. The goalkeeper dives with his outstretched arms, but in slow motion.

In the 1970s and 1980s, this was not prevalent, and our team progressed to the Olympics, a super-hero feat. But alas, politics (the boycott of Moscow Olympics) deprived them the chance to perform on the world stage. I was totally wrecked, as I believe the players were, too.

The Malaysian: Yes to people power, down with corruption! Show it to Najib - the glory of true sportsmanship will be forever lost with legalised sports betting in Malaysia. Umno and BN, have you not done sufficient damage already with all the politicisation of sports in Malaysia. Now this?

Aramsa: This is more like ‘Bangkit Rakyat' against sport betting. It should be Bangkit Rakyat against Umno's all-round illegal practices.

Football and nationalism

Ida Bakar: The saving grace here is that I reside in Bonny, Scotland, and I am looking forward to empty streets and comfortable shopping during this season. These World War II references are quite embarrassing, really, as it is rather one-sided. Germans couldn't care less!

In 1996, while other students were at the pub, I was cheering for Germany with two other Irish students. Germany won! This unreciprocated us-vs-them is not just confined to football.

The last time I was in Aya Sophia, all the Greek tourists could see was the Byzantine aspects of the building and history, although it was a mosque for 800 years or so - much to the amusement of the local Turks. I supposed those cheering for Man U would pass the Tebbit test, eh?

(The Tebbitt test was coined after Sir Norman Tebbit's remark that the nationalism of immigrants can be inferred from the cricket team they support, for example England vs India, etc. So for Malaysians to support Man U against the Malaysian team should make Tebbit happy for any of them to be British migrant (I suppose).

Playfair: I've never been to England and would have difficulty finding Scotland (pronounced Kotland on RTM TV) in an atlas. But thanks for a informative perspective on the passions of football.