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The Robbery

sharp weapons or contraband smuggled in. There were no
lock-up uniforms in those days. At night, we were given
blankets that were smelly and very dirty.
Sei Ngan Chai and I were separated from each other, and
the police used this strategy to extract more information from
us. They would tell me that Sei Ngan Chai had betrayed me,
so that I would betray him in turn. In some instances, it was
true that Sei Ngan Chai revealed certain information about
our activities that he was supposed to keep secret. It made me
angry but there was nothing I could do.
Within the 60 days, we were taken – often handcuffed
and blindfolded – to different police stations for further
interrogation by various investigating officers. We were at the
Petaling Street, Gombak, Brickfields and Campbell stations,
but never in the same police station at the same time.
I was taken to the night club where I had hidden the
revolver. After the revolver was retrieved, I received my
worst beating ever during police interrogation. The police
wanted to know whether I was involved in any other
robberies or possibly even murders. To possess firearms
without a proper licence was a major crime, and using it for
robbery or murder would mean a heavy penalty.
The police told me that I was being investigated under
Section 3A of the Penal Code, but it never dawned on me what
the punishment was. Sei Ngan Chai was being investigated
under a different section which was less serious. He was
merely an accomplice while I was the mastermind and main
suspect. He had only to accept the offer from the police to be a
witness, and he would face a lesser charge. That he betrayed
me was understandable; but it was hard to accept that I had to
face a stiffer penalty for possession of firearms.
After 60 days in the lock up, I was sent to Pudu Jail for a
further remand of up to two years, while awaiting trial. This
was the beginning of my ordeal and anguish as a prisoner. I
became very angry and bitter. Li Chai and the lawyer visited
me on two occasions, during the initial 60-day remand and
later at Pudu Jail, but I was told there was nothing they could
do for me because the case involved the use of firearms. It was

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BOOK inside pages.indd 20 08/08/2018 05:43 PM