secret societies operated in Singapore in the 1950s and the 1960s

[snrcitizen]

yah, those day gangster they are very helpful, unlike today, you die also no pple hiew you. what happened to our society?

One possible reason is that in those days, there were many kampongs and villages where in each of them, everybody knows everybody. All those in the same place treat one another as an extended family member.

I could just walk into my neighbour's house whose doors are always open and everyone is more trusting. Today, thanks to the PAP whose attitude is "you die is your business", and the relentless pursuit of material wealth, trust for fellow human beings have gone down to the gutters.

The gangsters those days may be outlaws but they have a strict code of conduct and principles which every member adheres to rigidly.

 

[Baimi]

When i was very young, the housing estate i stayed
was infested with secret societies, lost count of how many
societies. I could have joined them then and there,
and these two big rival gangs were always at war.
In hokkien, 'gai giam', so whenever they met, they will fight,
in hawker centre, in school, in cinema, inside the estate and
also on board a bus. In the estate also gang clashed with
other secret societies. I witness some gang clashed,
and gang members get killed.
Later the gangster heads get caught and
charged with section 55, get PS for few years, IC number started with '9'.
After that the estate became quiet.

 

[chuckyworld]

Gangland activities were rampant then.

A gang would control many of the businesses operating in its area - like four-digit lotteries, opium dens, brothels and gambling dens. As some areas were controlled by different gangs, violent clashes often broke out between the groups.

Biggest gang in any countries is the Government period.

Ask Bush he is the Lau Ta he suka suka send his peng kias go hoot.

 

[tiulehloumoh]

yah, those day gangster they are very helpful, unlike today, you die also no pple hiew you. what happened to our society?

Yeah, they are like robin hood, collect protection money from hawker , shop owner and help the poor by giving them loan.... if loan cannot pay, provide job the poor peasant daughter to be bar girl or prosititue...... it is bad for the gov to introduce Section 55......

 

[0939]

I would have been a gangster if I had not in secondary school. Those gangsters were school dropouts. I was born in Tanjong Pagar, I was born
a fighter, I loved to fight with naughty boys. I had never lost before. My last
fight was with a ex-convict taller and stronger and I beat him off when I was 45 yr old. If today, someone who irritate me I will beat him because I was born in Tanjong Pagar.
Unfortunately my 2nd brother joined gangster, later to become a top man respected by other clans and he had to serve Sec55 for 9 nine years for a
gangland clash.
Most of these gangs mentioned by Ah Hai still existed but dormant now. In 1994 when my mother passed away, More than 10 banners each represented
by their respective clans came and paid respect to my brother at the funeral wake. What was unusual, each and every members of them bowed and paid last respect to my mother, were the donations they made out between $200 to $500 each. A true spirit shown by them.

 

[jw5]

Yeah, they are like robin hood, collect protection money from hawker , shop owner and help the poor by giving them loan.... if loan cannot pay, provide job the poor peasant daughter to be bar girl or prosititue...... it is bad for the gov to introduce Section 55......

There should be more robin hoods in our current society.

 

[sage]

I would have been a gangster if I had not in secondary school. Those gangsters were school dropouts. I was born in Tanjong Pagar, I was born
a fighter, I loved to fight with naughty boys. I had never lost before. My last
fight was with a ex-convict taller and stronger and I beat him off when I was 45 yr old. If today, someone who irritate me I will beat him because I was born in Tanjong Pagar.
Unfortunately my 2nd brother joined gangster, later to become a top man respected by other clans and he had to serve Sec55 for 9 nine years for a
gangland clash.
Most of these gangs mentioned by Ah Hai still existed but dormant now. In 1994 when my mother passed away, More than 10 banners each represented
by their respective clans came and paid respect to my brother at the funeral wake. What was unusual, each and every members of them bowed and paid last respect to my mother, were the donations they made out between $200 to $500 each. A true spirit shown by them.

Isn't the biggest and most feared ganster of Tanjong Pagar still alive and kicking? ha ha.

Yes, there was time for wars and time for unity. One classic display of unity was during the racial riots when rivalry was set aside and lorries were on standby for deployment. Lots of "yi hei" too those days. Then with intro of NS, gangs lost direction, no more yi hei and if one in all soup the rest also. The youngsters also short sighted with many cases of mistaken identities.

 

[Agoraphobic]

There should be more robin hoods in our current society.

But the opposite happened, there are more Sheriffs of Nottingham.:(

 

[newyorker88]

Anyone remember Jeffery Ow from Po*** FoR**??

Remember many gangs wanted to beat him up

 

[tiulehloumoh]

There should be more robin hoods in our current society.

There are every where in our current society..... Much civilised , don't provide job for your daughter now..... their brotherhood scribbled O$P$ on the wall or pour paint on yr door only....

 

[Ah Hai]

any one know the number one most wanted man in 1960s
Lim Ban Lim?

 

[sage]

any one know the number one most wanted man in 1960s
Lim Ban Lim?

Don't know him personally. He was ambidextrous, quicker than John Wayne and feared by law enforcers.

 

[Baimi]

any one know the number one most wanted man in 1960s
Lim Ban Lim?

His gangs had a shoot out with detectives which they
had trailed him for years, he was a master of disguise.
I think the location is at Geylang, Lorong 40?
He carried 2 guns with him, dubbed 'double gun LBL'
His gangs operated in Lorong Tai Seng.

 

[woohoohoo]

Just from personal experience. Was student in Pre-U (JC as it is called today) when racial riots broke out. While making my way home from school along deserted streets strewn with burnt cars when I came across a guy standing at a road junction.

When he saw me, he waved to me to approach him. He told me he is a gangster member and he was assigned to be the lookout. He enquired as to where I was heading.

When I told him my destination, he gave me directions I should take which will be safe from rioters as his gang members have the route he pointed out covered.

I reached home safely, thanks to this guy.

i wasn't born yet but heard from my parents that during the famous riots, it was primarily the triads that protected the chinese in SG.

 

[johnny333]

There should be more robin hoods in our current society.

In Spore got AhLee Baba & his 40 thieves :p

 

[Neh_Neh_Pok]

modern secret societies, Temasek and GIC...headed by

Ooo is it? Why not headed by your pestors?

 

[0939]

any one know the number one most wanted man in 1960s
Lim Ban Lim?

Unfortunately Lim Ban Lim was not as notorious as Oh Kim Tee in the 50s

 

[snrcitizen]

i wasn't born yet but heard from my parents that during the famous riots, it was primarily the triads that protected the chinese in SG.

Your parents are right. As a kid, during the colonial days, I have witnessed war between gangs which were mostly bloody and was fearful of them. However, after the riots my opinion of them changed a bit.

During the riots, the police had their hands full as fights could break out anywhere (was witness to the fights, too) and with the situation changing very rapidly, I was glad that there were pockets of safe areas mainly because these guys ensured that the area they controlled remained calm.

These gangsters not only protected the Chinese living within their area of control but provided assurance and safety for all races (including Malays) who lived in the same area too. Such was their principle.

 

[scroobal]

Your parents are right. As a kid, during the colonial days, I have witnessed war between gangs which were mostly bloody and was fearful of them. However, after the riots my opinion of them changed a bit.

This is an interesting story about triads told to me by a Malaysian who studied at NUS. This chap was a Malacca boy whose father operated a fruit stall. As is the practice, the father had been giving protection money since he could remember.

One day, he turned up at his stall and found it wrecked and suspected fruit vendor rivals. As a small crowd gathered near his stall, the usual sam seng was doing his rounds collecting protection money. The father grabs the guy in front of the crowds screws the shit out of him for failing to provide protection and demands to see the headman.

Headman turns up and gets a mouthful from the father who goes on to question his manhood. The guy turns meek, apologises profusely and scoots off.

Father proceeds to the Headman's house, only to find the guy's parents there. Another round of berating.

The next day, headman sends a runner and all the money collected over the years returned.

Apparently Headman scared of his parents.

So I asked the Malaysian if his father was big size and a fighter. He said to the contrary, small size but had an exceptionally caustic mouth.

I thought this was interesting.

 

[scroobal]

any one know the number one most wanted man in 1960s
Lim Ban Lim?

Lim Ban Lim was from Lor Tai Seng village. His wife continued to live while he was on the run. CID decided to do round the clock surveillance of the village and wife and it went on for months. One day, Commissioner of Police finds out the the wife is pregnant and all hell breaks lose.