Infiltration Of Malaysian Gangs Investigated

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32076, 26 August 1969, Page 27

Infiltration Of Malaysian Gangs Investigated

■ (N.Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) ’ KUALA LUMPUR. Malaysian authorities i are investigating the pos- ■ sibility that pro-Peking ’ Communists or other | Leftist politicians have infiltrated the traditional • Chinese secret criminal societies in order to spread propaganda and subversion. Their investigation comes after the recovery of pam- : phlets issued in Chinese in i various parts of Malaysia. : The pamphlets seem to be an unusual mixture of Chinese Communist ideological terms and traditional secret society language. Secret societies have followed Chinese communities all over the world. Formed originally as genuine selfhelp organisations, many of them have degenerated in Malaysia and Singapore into criminal extortion gangs. Such gangs have existed for many years. They have colourful names, such as “Tiger and Dragon Society,” “13 Immortals,” “08 Group,” and several other combinaItions of numbers. Each

society has its own initiation rites and leaders known as tiger generals, dragon generals and so on. The gangs clash from time to time in disputes over territory. The police in both Malaysia and Singapore have special sections to deal with gang crimes. Since last year Malaysian authorities have been worried by the appearance of an organisation calling itself “Red Flag Revolutionary Party.” The organisation came to their attention soon after the 1967 Penang riots, which left more than 30 people dead. Its pamphlets, found in many places, sought to stir up inter-racial feeling, declaring that Malays would soon “massacre” Chinese. The pamphlets referred, in traditional secret • society fashion, to the alleged supremacy of Chinese culture and Chinese unity, but also used traditional Communist jargon in attacking, for instance, “running dogs and traitors.” The documents said the i party’s members had arms ■ and had infiltrated every sec- 1 tion of the Government. They i talked of "annihilating the I enemy.” The documents expressed j hopes for the downfan of i

the traditional Malay sultans and the “alliance bandits’ a reference -to the country’s ruling Alliance Party—and also offered to safeguard men chants and traders.

This offer puzzled experts because it was not considered in line with Communist objectives. Although it was more than a year ago when the pamphlets were first circulated, police still attach importance to them. They believe that secret societies are trying to take advantage of the unrest in Malaysia caused by the racial violence in May and June which claimed at least 181 lives and left hundreds of persons unaccounted for. Hundreds of secret society members are among the more than 6000 people arrested. The Government says gangsters are going around demanding protection money from people by spreading rumours of more racial violence. Observers say it might be that the Red Flag Group has found a modern idiom for extortion, playing on the tenuous balance of relations between Malaysia’s main communities, the Malays and Chinese. Or it might be that the: politicians have found a new method of subversion, 1