Tale of a Tiger General

Secret societies in Malaysia have been entrenched for at least a hundred years, brought over by gang members migrating to Malaya. They can trace their origins back to the anti-Manchu secret society called the Hung Meng Hooi.

By and large many triad members were patriotic Chinese, involved in the many upheavals in China. Most Chinese in the early years of Malaysia heavily identified themselves with Mainland China. Triads form one of the secret pillars backing the Kuomintang in China. In fact many high-ranking Kuomintang warlords and generals were triad members.

This link between Malayan triads and their mainland counterparts, under the umbrella of the Hung Meng Hooi and Hua Jie secret societies were severed after the Communist victory. Many triads fled to other countries with Malaya being one of the top destinations.

One of them happened to be one of the five Tiger Generals of Hung Meng Hooi in China. While fleeing the fighting between Kuomintang and Communist troops, all he carried with him was a large painting of Guan Gong. He later attributed his safe journey to Malaya to this painting, emerging unscathed by bullets even though he was caught in the middle of a battle. Today this painting still adorns his grandson's home.

On arrival to Malaya, he settled in Muar, Johor where he was taken in by the Malayan Hung Meng Hooi and made a honorary senior leader. Soon, many people would know him to be one of the main leaders of Hung Meng Hooi in Johor. Every gang leader under the secret society paid heed to his words.

He founded a Chinese martial arts school known as Persatuan Seni Bela Diri Kong Chang, which means the empty palm, akin to the Japanese martial art Karate-Do, which meant empty fist. His famous kung fu was known as the Iron Sand Palm, where he trained his fingers and palm to be as hard as iron by striking a pail filled with sand.

One day, his eldest son caused much disrespect to him. In a fit of anger, he slapped his son very hard. A short while later his son died from head injuries. Ever since then, he vowed not to hit his own flesh and blood again and didn't pass down to his other sons the mantle of the secret society.

It is also rumored, that the Tiger General saved the old Sultan of Johor (father of the current Sultan) from drowning in Muar River. The Sultan was now indebted to the secret society boss. The august ruler wanted to grant him a honorific title but was dissuaded by his advisors as the Tiger General was already a well known underworld figure. However, he placed the Tiger General under the direct protection of the Johor royalty which practically made him untouchable.

And this ties in to the earlier story on the current Sultan of Johor, who as you may remember, murdered a Chinese smuggler who was in fact a triad close to the Tiger General. As a compromise, the Sultan stripped his son of the title as Crown Prince and heir to the throne.

To end this tale of a Tiger General, it was said that before he died, he started to scratch and slap the house wall until he was bleeding all over, mourning over the death of his eldest son.

Technorati Tags: triad, chinese, underworld, johor, malaysia

The Grizzly **** Murder

There is a rumor circulating in Sungai Petani, Kedah on a very famous murder case. In early 2006, a horrific crime shocked the sleepy town of Sungai Petani. Miss Chee Gaik Yap, age 25, was out jogging in Kelab Cinta Sayang when she was abducted by several men in a black Naza Ria MPV.

She was hit in the head, raped and killed by having her throat slit. Police arrested a whole bunch of people for DNA testing including some car repair men and club workers. However, all was freed due to lack of evidence. It is nearly a year and half since that brutal crime and yet the killer is still at large.

According to police investigations, she was believed to have been trailed by her assailants. This was no random crime of opportunity. At the time of her murder, she was together with a Chinese national by the name of Luo Zhenqinq. The two met at University Utara Malaysia.

There was another person who tried to woo her but failed. This man is well as known as a local bad hat. It is believed that he took it badly and was in a rage. Not one to give up on what he wants, he tried harder to win her but was rebuffed many times. This drove the man into a murderous rage.

So, according to the rumors, this man and his buddies tailed, abducted, raped and murdered her in the most brutal fashion. Below is a picture of several of the club workers who were caught but subsequently released:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The man and his buddies were Chinese. Now, this rumor has been circulating for a year even among police personnel, so why haven't they picked this man up for questioning at the very least? That is because this man's father is known as a powerful godfather in politics and secret societies in Kedah.

This VIP godfather is protected by many bodyguards and well known for his arrogance. He has forged close ties to powerful MCA politicians (some of whom are also under the cloud of secret societies), has links to large corporations that monopolize Northern Malaysian contracts and owns clubs, restaurants, hotels and golf courses. He is not a man to be trifled with especially in his stronghold.

The VIP godfather used all the power at his disposal, political and criminal, to cover up his son's crime. And that is why the killer remains free to this day. The police do not dare to touch this godfather. Even now, the people of Kedah whisper this tale fearfully looking around to see if anyone else is hearing even though it is empty like a desert. One thing the kopitiam can tell for sure is that everybody is damn scared of this godfather.

Disclaimer: The above story may or may not be true. Take it with a grain of salt if you wish.

Oil for Food Scandal

The Oil-for-Food Programme was established to allow Iraq to sell oil in exchange for food, medicine and other vital supplies. It did not take long however for the Iraqi government to abuse the programme by demanding kickbacks from companies. Several investigations were launched and voluminous reports written.

One of the names that cropped up in the final report of the Independant Inquiry Committee into The United Nations Oil-For-Food Programme was the Malaysian Prime Ministed Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Studying Chapter Two of the report, Malaysia was the fourth highest purchaser of oil under Phase IX of the programme (circa 2000 and above). This amounted to a figure of US$500 million or RM1.8 billion.

The report names Mastek Sdn Bhd as one of the companies that paid bribes to Iraqi officials amounting to US$10 million. The Prime Minister publicly denied any involvement in the scandal. He only recommended several people to participate in the Oil-for-Food Programme in his capacity as (then) Deputy Prime Minister. Malaysiakini was threatened by government officials for reporting on Abdullah Badawi's involvement.

The current Foreign Minister Syed Hamid issued a statement saying that the Prime Minister had nothing to gain from obtaining oil in Iraq. The Iraq Survey Group that prepared the report concluded that a person in the programme could profit by US$0.65 per barrel of oil obtained.

Returning to Mastek Sdn Bhd, it is listed as a saw timber company. Mastek Sdn Bhd was at that time a dormant company which was revived by three persons, namely:

1. Noor Asiah Dato' Mahmood (Abdullah Badawi's sister-in-law)
2. Faek Ahmad Shareef (Noor Asiah's ex-husband)
3. Jaya Sudhir (businessman)

After it's revival it became a crude oil company, participating in Phase VII to Phase IX of the Oil-for-Food Programme. Currently Mastek Sdn Bhd is listed as a computer software develpoment company.

Prior to Phase IX, Mastek Sdn Bhd received roughly 7.5 million barrels of oil. During Phase IX however, Mastek Sdn Bhd's oil allocation rose to 39.5 million barrels. This coincided with the time when Abdullah Badawi cemented his position as the Deputy Prime Minister, after the sacking of Anwar Ibrahim. In fact, this was the single largest allocation of oil during the entire Oil-for-Food Programme.

The report specifically stated that Iraqi officials gave such a large allocation to Faek Ahmad because of his relationship to Abdullah Badawi. In written documents, Iraqi officials referred to Faek Ahmad as "Mr. Faek Ahmad Shareef/for the benefit of Abdullah". According to the definition of corruption as defined by the Anti-Corruption Agency, translated as below:

“Any officer of the civil service using his/her position or post in the service to obtain bribes/benefits regarding any decision made by the person or making a decision regarding any matter, in which he/her, his/her family members, friends or partners have a stake in the matter, whether direct or indirect.”

Abdullah Badawi's role in the scandal skirts dangerously close to the definition of corruption. Besides Mastek Sdn Bhd, another Malaysian company implicated in the report is Tradeyear Sdn Bhd. Listed as it's non-contractual beneficiaries are Faek Ahamd as well as a certain "Mr. Abdullah Badawi".

Tradeyear Sdn Bhd was allocated 9.2 million barrels of oil, after paying surcharges (aka bribes) of US$116,000. 9.2 million barrels of oil translates to a profit of US$6 million. Looks like a certain "Mr. Abdullah Badawi" is laughing all the way to the bank.

A simple search of the report turns out another two Malaysian companies that implicated in kickbacks, Jawala Corp Sdn Bhd of Dato Majid Khan (US$1 million) and Petma Oil of Dato Paduka L.M.N Affendi (US$110,000). To it's credit, Petronas was charged with surcharges but refused to pay.

As far back as June 2006, Teresa Kok (MP for Seputeh) had raised the issue in Parliament. Now it is May 2007 and no action has been taken against the companies mentioned nor has any satisfactory explanation been given. It's no wonder that Parliament leaks. The report can be found here.

The King & The Death Sentence

Today, let the kopitiam refresh the reader's memory on Malaysian history. This tale concerns the southern state of Johor and it's all powerful monarch, before his highness ascended the throne.

The Sultan of Johor, then Tengku Mahmood Iskandar, has a very controversial history. First he was stripped as the heir to the throne by his father, Sultan Ismail, in 1961 after assaulting six people. In 1972-73 however, the young monarch faced a much more serious charge. He was charged with manslaughter and sentenced to death by another young prince who is now the Raja of Perak, Hon. Mr. Justice Raja Azlan Shah.

The Sultan of Johor (Tengku Iskandar), was charged with murdering a Chinese man who was said to be a smuggler due to a dispute. When he was caught, Tengku Iskandar pleaded (falsely) that the man he murdered was a Communist agent. The court, presided by Raja Azlan Shah, didn't buy this story and sentenced him to death.

His father, Sultan Ismail, stepped in to save his eldest son from a gruesome fate. Tengku Iskandar was sentenced to six month's jail and ordered to pay a fine of RM6,000. However his father told him in no uncertain terms that he would never ascend the throne of Johor.

And so, Tengku Iskandar's brother Tunku Rahman, became the heir. Now in 1977 Sultan Ismail's wife, Ungku Tun Aminah, died in a car crash. Subsequently he married again to Tengku Nora binti Tengku Panglima Raja Ahmad. Tengku Iskandar seized this opportunity to marry the sister of his father's second wife - Tengku Zanariah binti Tengku Panglima Raja Ahmad.

A palace coup was in the making. Sultan Ismail was very ill in 1981.  The heir of the throne Tunku Rahman was away overseas. Suddenly Sultan Ismail passed away peacefully in 1981. What came next however was an even greater shock. Tengku Iskandar emerged from his father's death bed declaring that his father had pardoned him at his last breath and reinstated him as the heir.

What proof did he had? A document pardoning and reinstating himself as the Crown Prince with his father's fingerprint as a royal thumb of approval. The Chief Minister of Johor at that time, Tan Sri Othman Bin Mohd Saat, couldn't believe what had happened. He questioned Tengku Iskandar's fishy document. He had no power however to stop the royal coronation of Tengku Iskandar (neither did his brother who was overseas). Thus Tengku Iskandar ascended the throne of Johor and is now known as Sultan Iskandar.

The Chief Minister of Johor was pushed out of power in 1982 and the rest is history. Check the links to various shenanigans of Sultan Iskandar and his offspring after he ascended the throne (and became the most powerful man in Johor):

1. Demolish Causeway
2. Malaysian Royal Arrested Over Wedding Brawl
3. Douglas Gomez Assault and Private Adam Amok
4. Son of Royal Beats Policeman's Wife

Those are but a sample of the thuggish behavior of this most powerful royal family. The Douglas Gomez assault and it's consequences in law is covered here.

Technorati tags: malaysia, history, johor, sultan, iskandar, royal, king

May 13 Recollections: A Melaka Student

To commemorate the 38th anniversary of the bloody race riots of May 13th 1969, the kopitiam will share one of the many verbal accounts of people who lived through that dark stain in our history.

The protagonist, a Melaka student, was studying with friends at a school on that fateful day. Unaware of what was happening in the country, they trooped off happily home as dusk approached. Suddenly, a Malay man wearing only a sarong came running towards them, carrying a shotgun. He pointed it upwards and asked them to get home - there was a curfew in place - all people who violate the curfew will be shot on the spot.

The students were befuddled. They didn't really comprehend what the man was talking about. So they continued walking back home, unperturbed. As they got neared and nearer a town, army trucks whizzed past them on the way to Kuala Lumpur. There were soldiers everywhere, grim faced and silent. Now with fear the students decided to hitch at one of the student's house (which was nearby) for the night.

The whole night, they saw army trucks, soldiers and many vehicles moving through the silent deadly night. They peered outside the house and was seen by a soldier outside. Immediately he pointed the rifle at them and barked at them to go to sleep. So, they went to sleep.

Their sleep however was interrupted when noises were heard outside. There was a commotion. Many people, primarily Chinese, were fleeing from their homes. Bewildered, they asked some of the people what the heck was going on? Above the din they could make out that a large group of Malay villagers armed with parangs and swords were descending on them.

So they ran and ran to the next residential area. Now at that time, much of Kuala Lumpur , Melaka and Selangor were controlled by secret societies that enforced ruthless racial and territorial boundaries. The residential area which they fled to belonged to another gang. The gang members thought they were coming for a fight, so many people were roused and they started whacking the people who just fled.

Only a while later did they realize that these people did not come for a fight, but were running away from the Malay villagers. Realizing their mistakes, both sides of people joined in fleeing some more. Others, itching for a fight, went to fight with the Malay villagers. What happened to them, nobody knows; the exact number of people killed (mainly Chinese) were not counted and many were buried in mass graves. As for the protagonist, he/she is healthy and alive, or else how will the kopitiam here of this story?

That is one of many verbal recollections of people who lived through May 13. There are many more of them out there. Please feel free to share it here.

Technorati tags: may 13, malaysia, history

Airod and the Court Martial

Recently several allegations of corruption against Airod President Tan Sri Ahmad Johan has resurfaced. They range from siphoning of Airod's money into the personal accounts of Tan Sri Ahmad Johan to corrupt arms deals involving the Royal Malaysian Air Force.

However, what the kopitiam is more interested in is in a certain event that happened a long time ago to the Airod President Tan Sri Ahamad Johan, when he was still a lowly captain in the Malaysian Rangers. It seems that the esteemed Tan Sri committed an offense that warranted a court martial to indict him.

Luckily for the esteemed Tan Sri, a high ranking officer within the Rangers stepped in and came to his defense. As this officer was well known as a courageous, honest and capable man, the court martial proceeding against the esteemed Tan Sri was dropped. This officer was also the most trusted subordinate of a high-ranking Brigadier-General.

The story does not end there. After this officer's stint in the armed forces ended, he was hired by Tan Sri Ahmad Johan to a mid-level managerial position in Airod many years later as a sign of gratitude. What is funny though is that the kopitiam has seen this very officer is also a die hard PAS and Keadilan supporter. Ironic how the world works, no?

As for what the esteemed Tan Sri was charged with in the court martial, they are inconclusive. Anyone have any ideas?

Further Reading:

• Parliament Minutes 17 June 2003
• Malaysia Today

Technorati tags: malaysia, defence, airod

Signs of General Election: Teachers

How to know when an election is coming? Well just listen to the teachers! The kopitiam visited by many teachers has ben abuzz with rumors that the General Election will be held around August. Several teachers from a school selected as a polling center have whispered that they are REQUIRED to attend a meting at the end of July, where presumably they will be briefed on the coming election. It will be held before Merdeka, so speculation is rife that it will be in mid August, as close to Merdeka as possible. After all who can deny that Merdeka is Barisan Nasional and voting for Barisan Nasional means voting for Merdeka. Ingenious! Well who said teachers are useless, they are the number one gossip makers. Thank you to all my teachers.

Technorati tags: malaysia, general election