Julau MP reveals close encounter with gangsters in 'Wild West'

Julau MP Larry Sng was visiting the Chinese community in Julau when he ran into a group of local gangsters.

The Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) president said the men had planned to attack him.

“They mentioned to one of my supporters that they had prepared weapons in the car to target me.

“But since that didn’t happen, an argument took place and when my supporters tried to calm the situation, they pushed a Tuai Rumah (longhouse chief) to the ground,” he told Malay Mail.

In a Facebook post, Sng lamented how the once peaceful rural town in Sarawak now resembled the “Wild West”.

“Over the course of a year, the introduction of online gaming has carved up Sarawak’s cities and towns into various districts controlled by gangsters from different groups.

“In Julau, apart from online gaming, their illicit activities have expanded to selling drugs, contraband (cigarettes and liquor) to illegal money lending,” he added.

Sng said the gangsters have forced local coffee shop owners to purchase their contraband in Pakan and Julau and have squeezed profit margins from the shopkeepers.

Those who resisted, he added, were threatened.

‘Selling drugs’

“In one instance some months ago, ‘batu’ (methamphetamine) was sold in public, in Julau town, to demonstrate that they were untouchable,” he revealed.

According to Sng, he was also informed that some public servants and tuai rumah are also in debt with these gangsters.

Due to this, he claimed they are desperate to sell their lands and borrow money to repay the gangsters who are charging them exorbitant levels of interest rate.

“Many of these people can’t afford to repay them and are often threatened,” he added.

As for his encounter, Sng, who described it as a “display of stupidity and arrogance”, said he did not wish to escalate the matter but urged the police to look into the situation.

“If their activities continue in such a brazen manner, the authorities from Bukit Aman will need to come down hard on them.

“This is a total disregard of law and order and such matters must not be taken lightly,” he added. - Mkini