Has Kelab Shah Alam settled on lesser of two evils?

 

Writing on anything related to race, religion and royalty is like walking on cobblestones.

Besides the all-encompassing MCMC Act, any comment based on common sense and logic is not accepted most of the time by certain quarters whose minds are fixated and their views blinkered.

I have first-hand experience. In my writings, I have always stood up against child marriages and have always raised the same question to those opposing legislation to outlaw it: Would you allow your 12-year-old sister, daughter or granddaughter to be a wife to someone old enough to be her grandfather?

It was a logical question to pose but one or two lawmakers accused me of “interfering in their religion” claiming their religion allowed it. Others were not that civil and took potshots at me on social media and even sent demeaning messages to family members.

So, when I wrote about the ban on liquor at the Seremban International Golf Club (SIGC) in 2019, they were at it again on social media reminding me that “Malaysia is an Islamic country.”

I then wrote: “The recent furore and uproar over the sale of liquor at the SIGC further drove home the message that religion and religious belief cannot be segregated from our daily lives. In every sport and every move, if not by decree, by application of personal beliefs, religion creeps into the system.

“Even journalists get sucked into the system. At a press conference on the Volvo Masters many years ago, two journalists questioned the tournament director on these lines: ‘Why is this tournament held during the fasting month? It means Muslim caddies are being deprived of their income’.

“Little did the duo realise that the golf calendar is fixed well in advance (in some cases two years ahead) and the available slots are allocated so that there is no clash of events.”

Even the apparel worn by our athletes has become talking points from a religious perspective. Sports and religion are a deadly mix, at least in Malaysia and the self-appointed guardians of public morals seem to be getting bolder.

But on occasions, when money is the ultimate goal, such beliefs and religious diktat are forgotten. Even political point-scorers are silent watchers and money is a great mover.

Slot machines

An example is the Kelab Shah Alam. In February, it banned the sale of alcoholic beverages in the club and what followed was a furore among members who used to enjoy their tipple at one corner of the club, unseen by other members.

No reason was given for the sudden imposition of such a rule but property developer Ng Seing Liong who sits on the committee of the club said that the decision was made by the club’s management.

"When the management mulled to ban alcohol, I objected to it, citing the alcohol ban was never implemented during BN's era. But the management decided to ban alcohol," he was quoted as saying by Oriental Daily.

The state government, he said, had nothing to do with it.

But while alcoholic drinks were seen as haram (forbidden), the club was getting regular income from another haram source - gambling. 

According to documents sighted by this writer, the club received almost RM3 million for a two-year period from 2018. If not for such income, the club’s operations would have ended in the red.

According to the club’s annual reports, its income from slot machines was RM1.52 million for the 2018 financial year and RM1.45 million the following year. For 2020, it recorded an income of RM718,000.

This, members say, is attributed to the slot machines being removed from its premises and “leased” to a third party using the licence issued by the Treasury in another building in Temasysa Glenmarie, which is being touted as an “annexe” of the club.

Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari is the president of Kelab Shah Alam while State Secretary Haris Kassim is the vice-president.

Did the club’s management choose the lesser of two evils or just tutup satu mata (turn a blind eye) because the club’s operations would be in deficit?

As in the past, club officials have chosen to maintain silence. - Mkini

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R NADESWARAN is a veteran journalist and writes on bread-and-butter issues. Comments: citizen.nades22@gmail.com 

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.