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Forewaody Journey Begins
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cinemas in Chow Kit. I would get about 200 to 300 tickets from
the manager and my men and I would peddle those tickets at
higher prices, making fast money.
Sometimes we could sell the tickets at double the price.
This is because we created an artificial shortage and the
demand for tickets would shoot up. Courting couples who
had come a long way to the cinema often did not mind paying
more to watch the movie. We were opportunists who knew
how to exploit the situation.
As a gang leader in the underworld, I learnt that no one
could be trusted. Rival gangs were constantly trying to
take over our territory by challenging our authority or, like
gladiators in Ancient Rome, they would challenge us to a fight
to see who was stronger. It was during that time that many
triad leaders invited me to join them, enticing me with the
prospects of earning quick money. But in reality, I remained
only a pawn used by the rich and powerful.
In those days, Campbell Complex was one of the few
shopping complexes in Kuala Lumpur. There was a group of
gangsters who were creating trouble for the nightclub there.
The owner asked if I could help to “take care” of his nightclub.
With our presence, the security guards knew they had
an easier job. Even the police acknowledged that our being
there meant they had less to worry about in the area under
their jurisdiction. They knew that as long as Sam and his gang
were taking care of the place, no one would dare to create
problems.
Most of my gang members worked as nightclub bouncers
and were involved in the prostitution racket. They were
constantly recruiting more members since the more they
recruited, the faster they were able to rise up the ranks. If
they were caught, often things could be settled with cash at
the police station.
In 1979, I made a trip to Songkhla in South Thailand. There
I bought a .38 Smith & Wesson Special for 6000 Bahts or the
equivalent of RM600. I paid for the revolver in Thailand, then
waited in Kelantan to pick it up. It was expertly smuggled in
by a syndicate. In those days, guns could also be procured at

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BOOK inside pages.indd 30 08/08/2018 05:44 PM