Salakau
Encyclopedia
Salakau, which literally means '369' in Hokkien
, also known as "Sah Lak Kau", is a street gang or secret society
based in Singapore
. The numbers 3, 6 and 9 add up to 18, which was the name of an older gang; the number signified the 18 lohans (principal disciples) of Shaolin.
community after relaxing the Chinese-only rule. In the 1970s, more Malays were reported to be joining it after being introduced to gang members during tea dances in discos. This was because Malay gangs were smaller and more loosely structured due to the drastic drop of the Malay population and increase of the Chinese population.
369 also made profits from narcotics, extortions and prostitution. Attacks on rival gangs such as the '303' gang (Sakongsa in Hokkien), the Omega gang and the 18 SYH gang were somewhat of a routine occurrence. The police cracked down on gang activity in the early 1980s and gang wars came to a screeching halt as many of the leaders were jailed. Many other notorious 'headmen' fled to neighbouring countries or were killed in gang attacks. In the mid-90s, some teenagers in "pseudo street gangs" claimed affiliation to 369 to be "cool" but didn't engage in activities as violent as those engaged in by the real gang; in 1993, there were at least 9 separate teenage gangs calling themselves '369'. However, in the late 1990s and early dawn of the millennium, the gang gained strength as many of the jailed leaders were released, and several of the members had succeeded in scaring off many rival gangs from territories. Gang attacks once again became common and rioting cases shot up. Cases of murder involving gang attacks and riots were steadily increasing and the police force tightened its noose on the gangs. Singapore's Secret Society Branch dedicated most of its resources to halt the gang violence and managed in netting in a considerable amount of members. Slowly but surely, the gang violence receded and many members were put in prison.
having a better understanding of the gang networks and sufficient resources. The Secret Societies Branch (SSB) of the Singapore Police Force has made efforts to control the secret societies in recent years. The SSB regularly conducts surprise raids or checks on nightspots and public places known to be gang territories to deter any potential offenders. Anyone found guilty of being a member of an unlawful society may be punished up to a minimum of five years imprisonment and five strokes of the cane. Sentences are usually doubled or even tripled for anyone with significant leadership authority in any unlawful society in Singapore.
In 2010, 30 October, while people are celebrating Halloween, a staring incident happened in Downtown East which ended in a fatal attack on a Year 2 Republic Polytechnic student, Darren Ng. 4 were arrested 48 hours after the incident and charged with murder, age between 18 and 21 years old.
On 8 November 2010, seven youths were repeatedly slashed by a group of parang-wielding men in Bukit Panjang, in what appeared to be gang-related attacks. The victims, aged between 14 and 20, were set upon in two separate incidents - first when a 20-year-old assistant technician was slashed in the back and legs, and then when a group of 20 youths were surrounded. In both instances, the assailants first asked their victims whether they were from a gang named 'Pak Hai Tong'. When the victims denied associations with the group, they were slashed. The gang, believed to be eight-men strong, also shouted 'Sah Lak Kau' (Hokkien for 369), another gang name, before fleeing the scene. The vicious slashings left 20-year-old Jayasiva Shangar Guru hospitalised while six others from the second attack received outpatient treatment for their wounds. These attacks followed a clash between two gangs on 30 October in Downtown East which ended in the death of Year 2 Republic Polytechnic student Darren Ng.
Min Nan
The Southern Min languages, or Min Nan , are a family of Chinese languages spoken in southern Fujian, eastern Guangdong, Hainan, Taiwan, and southern Zhejiang provinces of China, and by descendants of emigrants from these areas in diaspora....
, also known as "Sah Lak Kau", is a street gang or secret society
Secret societies in Singapore
Secret societies in Singapore are generally Chinese in origin. They have been largely eradicated as a security issue in the city state. However many smaller groups remain today which attempt to mimic societies of the past...
based in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. The numbers 3, 6 and 9 add up to 18, which was the name of an older gang; the number signified the 18 lohans (principal disciples) of Shaolin.
Gang violence in Singapore
In the late 1980s and early 1970s, the gang furiously attacked rival gangs and started many turf wars. It also started recruiting many members from the Indian & MalayMalásia
Malásia is the twelfth album by Brazilian singer and songwriter Djavan released in 1996.The album opens with the song "O Que foi My Love?", a jazz accelerated ending in the form of blues; "Sêca", which talks about the drought in northeastern jungle; "Nem Um Dia" biggest hit of the album on the...
community after relaxing the Chinese-only rule. In the 1970s, more Malays were reported to be joining it after being introduced to gang members during tea dances in discos. This was because Malay gangs were smaller and more loosely structured due to the drastic drop of the Malay population and increase of the Chinese population.
369 also made profits from narcotics, extortions and prostitution. Attacks on rival gangs such as the '303' gang (Sakongsa in Hokkien), the Omega gang and the 18 SYH gang were somewhat of a routine occurrence. The police cracked down on gang activity in the early 1980s and gang wars came to a screeching halt as many of the leaders were jailed. Many other notorious 'headmen' fled to neighbouring countries or were killed in gang attacks. In the mid-90s, some teenagers in "pseudo street gangs" claimed affiliation to 369 to be "cool" but didn't engage in activities as violent as those engaged in by the real gang; in 1993, there were at least 9 separate teenage gangs calling themselves '369'. However, in the late 1990s and early dawn of the millennium, the gang gained strength as many of the jailed leaders were released, and several of the members had succeeded in scaring off many rival gangs from territories. Gang attacks once again became common and rioting cases shot up. Cases of murder involving gang attacks and riots were steadily increasing and the police force tightened its noose on the gangs. Singapore's Secret Society Branch dedicated most of its resources to halt the gang violence and managed in netting in a considerable amount of members. Slowly but surely, the gang violence receded and many members were put in prison.
Recent activity
Salakau has predominantly held the territories as mentioned but gang activity has slowed down considerably due to the Singapore Police ForceSingapore Police Force
The Singapore Police Force is the main agency tasked with maintaining law and order in the city-state. Formerly known as the Republic of Singapore Police , it has grown from an 11-man organisation to a 38,587 strong force...
having a better understanding of the gang networks and sufficient resources. The Secret Societies Branch (SSB) of the Singapore Police Force has made efforts to control the secret societies in recent years. The SSB regularly conducts surprise raids or checks on nightspots and public places known to be gang territories to deter any potential offenders. Anyone found guilty of being a member of an unlawful society may be punished up to a minimum of five years imprisonment and five strokes of the cane. Sentences are usually doubled or even tripled for anyone with significant leadership authority in any unlawful society in Singapore.
In 2010, 30 October, while people are celebrating Halloween, a staring incident happened in Downtown East which ended in a fatal attack on a Year 2 Republic Polytechnic student, Darren Ng. 4 were arrested 48 hours after the incident and charged with murder, age between 18 and 21 years old.
On 8 November 2010, seven youths were repeatedly slashed by a group of parang-wielding men in Bukit Panjang, in what appeared to be gang-related attacks. The victims, aged between 14 and 20, were set upon in two separate incidents - first when a 20-year-old assistant technician was slashed in the back and legs, and then when a group of 20 youths were surrounded. In both instances, the assailants first asked their victims whether they were from a gang named 'Pak Hai Tong'. When the victims denied associations with the group, they were slashed. The gang, believed to be eight-men strong, also shouted 'Sah Lak Kau' (Hokkien for 369), another gang name, before fleeing the scene. The vicious slashings left 20-year-old Jayasiva Shangar Guru hospitalised while six others from the second attack received outpatient treatment for their wounds. These attacks followed a clash between two gangs on 30 October in Downtown East which ended in the death of Year 2 Republic Polytechnic student Darren Ng.