JOHOR BARU: Two secondary school students were beaten up and forced to join the Hong Hong San and the Ngo Sek Kee secret societies in Muar, police said.
The recent assault, captured in a 41-second video clip involving a fight between the two gangs at Jalan Marin 10 and Taman Marin in Sungai Abong, Muar, went viral.
“Initial investigations showed that the fight between the two gang members at a coffeeshop in Sungai Abong was due to a misunderstanding,’’ Johor police chief Comm Datuk Kamarul Zaman Mamat told a press conference yesterday.
He said in a joint operation, 25 local suspects aged between 14 and 58 who were members of both gangs and the Gen Ah Heng secret society were arrested.
Codenamed Ops Cantas, the crackdown was conducted from Oct 5 to Oct 23, he said, adding that the suspects were caught in several locations in Selangor, Pahang, Melaka, Muar and Johor Baru.
Comm Kamarul Zaman said three of the suspects had tattoos, which showed a connection to the secret societies.
He said the assault was investigated under Section 323 of the Penal Code and Section 45 of the Societies Act 1966, adding that the fight between the two gangs was being investigated under different sections of both Acts.
He said six of the suspects had since been charged under Section 323 of the Penal Code and Section 45 of the Societies Act 1966 at the Muar Magistrate’s Court on Oct 17.
Comm Kamarul Zaman said two of the accused admitted to the charge and were fined RM3,000, while the others claimed trial.
He said Johor police have detected secret societies actively recruiting secondary school students to join their gangs, adding that the students were believed to be recruited to engage in criminal activities.
“The activity of secret society recruitment of our schoolboys seems to have just happened recently.
“So far, two reports have been received, and there may be more cases that have gone unreported,” he said.
“The underworld is believed to be targeting students in urban areas as opposed to rural areas.
“The victims, teachers and parents should report any such incident to the police,” he added.
