The
first secret societies
The secret
societies which formed in Singapore can be traced to mid-18th century Fujian
province in China, with the local offshoots adopting an organizational
structure mirroring the parent organization. The Hongman (洪門), the first secret society to be
established in Singapore, traced its origins to the Heaven and Earth Society
(Tiandihui) in Fujian.
List of secret societies
•
Ghee Hin Kongsi
• Hai San Kongsi
• Cho Koon Kongsi
• Ghee Khee Kongsi
• Ghee Sin Kongsi
• Ghee Soon Kongsi
• Chen Chen Kow (Tsung Peh Kongsi) 松柏公司
• Ghee Hok Kongsi 義福公司, 义福公司
• Ghee Khee Kwang Hok Kongsi
• Hok Bing Kongsi (Hok Hin Kongsi) 福興公司, 福兴公司
• Hen Bing Kongsi
• Choo Leong Kongsi
• Ang Bang Kongsi
• 24 Ghee Hai Kim
•
Angsoontong
• Sio Yi Ho
• 21 Tong Meng Ge
• Pa Hai Tong 21
• Ang Meng Tong 21
•
Salakau
•
Hai
Lo San
Ghee
Hin Kongsi
The Ghee
Hin Kongsi (Simplified Chinese: 义兴公司; Traditional Chinese: 義興公司; Pinyin: yìxīng gōngsī) is a secret
society in Singapore and Malaya, formed in 1820. Ghee Hin literally means
"the rise of righteousness" in Chinese. The Ghee Hin often fought
against the Hakka-dominated Hai San secret society.
Ghee Hin was initially
dominated by the Cantonese, although Hokkiens formed the majority by 1860.
Teochew, Hainanese, Hakka and Foochow form smaller minorities. Their main lodge
was located in Lavender Street, which contained the ancestral tablets of
important ex-members, before being donated to the Tan Tock Seng Hospital when
it was torn down in 1892, following the Suppression of Secret Societies
Ordinance.
The Ghee Hin were notorious for riots against Catholic Chinese in
1850 (killing over 500), as well as post offices in 1876, against a new, and
more expensive, monopoly on post and remittances. The colonial government began
to move towards surveillance, control, and finally suppression from 1890s
onwards.
Ghee Hin and Hai San were the two secret societies that were involved
in Perak civil war in the 19th century.
Ang
Soon Tong
Ang Soon
Tong is a secret society based in Singapore. According to a former police
officer, the society was active as early as the 1950s, mainly in the Sembawang
area. In 1998, a 19-year old youth was arrested for setting up a website
dedicated to the society. As recently as 2007, Ang Soon Tong was still active,
with one of its members sentenced to reformative probation that year for
clashing with members of another secret society.
Salakau
The gang was formed
during the early 1960s in the early years of Singapore's Independence when the
police force was more relaxed in its enforcement. 369 recruited members mainly
in prisons and ex-convicts who wanted to belong to the most powerful gang.
Until recently, 369 was a group of the '18' (Chup Pueh Sio Kun Tong in Hokkien)
secret society.
It has
since declared its independence from the '18' group and has opened its own
branches in many parts of Singapore. Places like Tanjong Rhu, Kallang Airport,
Teck Whye Lane, Clementi, Tanglin Halt, Mei Ling Street, Joo Seng, Bishan,
Thomson, Geylang and places like Yew Tee are the main branches in which many
members are recruited.
The
strict laws serve as a deterrent to potential gang members and has successfully decreased the number of gang-related street fights and attacks although
gang-related violence occurs sporadically but remain no cause for alarm in the
interest of public safety. The most recent case was when '369' gang members
launched a premeditated attack with machetes and other weapons against a rival
gang outside a 7-11 convenience store at Central Mall which left a 46-year old
rival gang member dead.
The
culprits have since been arrested and imprisoned due to the swift action of the
authorities. Recent cases of fighting in popular nightspots such as Ministry of
Sound and Club Momo have been attributed to '369' gang members but the
situation remains under control by law enforcement agencies.
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