Daily Lessons from Life 09 November 2010 - 16 youths attacked by '369' gang members

"Tue, Nov 09, 2010 AsiaOne - 16 youths attacked by '369' gang members

Six students had been hospitalized after yet another gang-related slashing incident. Seven youth brandishing chopping knives went on a rampage at Bukit Panjang, around 10 p.m. on Monday night.

Witnesses said a 20-year old Indian man collapsed in a pool of blood after he was attacked, and the attackers moved on to confront a group of youth who were resting at a basketball court after their games and attacked them after finding out they said they were not from a rival gang the attackers were looking for!"

This is a very disturbing incident in law abiding Singapore where violent crimes are few and far between. It is very disturbing as it came just after the fatal killing of a 19-year old Polytechnic student alleged by the same '369' gang members in a family entertainment area in broad day light! It is the beginning of a reign of terrors like in the bad old '50s and '60s? An era where gangsterism was rampant and many gangs were fighting each other for influences and right to collect protection money from ordinary merchants and people, running prostitution and loan sharking and illegal gambling, etc? I hope NOT!!

Lessons for me are:

1. if the '369' slogan was chanted again during this incident, the Singapore police simply have to round up everyone remotely connected with this gang and lock them up using the ISA Section 55 power of 'detention without trial' before slowly finding out who were involved, what caused this sudden boldness to challenge the enforcement agencies, etc;

2. the questions raised online by active contributors, albeit they are NOT that many, asking IF the police is getting complacent with the gang related activities in Singapore after so many years of peacefulness? Or that the focus has shifted so much to fighting terrorism that we ignored this other form of 'terrorism'?;

3. is this a symptom of a wider and deeper problem like parents losing control of their kids as they don't know how to be parents or they were simply too busy to etch out a living working excessive hours or what? Some learned people need to devoted the time and efforts with their expertise to investigate for the root causes and eradicate them quickly. Otherwise, when innocent people CANNOT walk and play peacefully in their own neighbourhood, it will be the END of Singapore.

One of the main things that get Singapore going for this ordinary citizen is that: we have law and order. We don't have to behave like a vigilante portrayed by Charles Bronson where he has to avenge his dear one's death against gangsters that no law enforcement agencies care! That will be tragic. It will sink to that low IF we let the wounds fester!!