Drugs, guns and race feed Malaysia gang violence

ARCHIVES 2013

By admin-s On Nov 7, 2013

(Global Post) – If you want to eliminate gangs, start with the politicians, and then with the police.

Jobless at 16 and facing the economic marginalisation of many Malaysian Indians, Raju opted for the danger and easy money of life in the notorious “04” criminal gang.

He was nearly beaten to death by a rival gang a few years ago, his teeth and bones broken.

But he survived, and is flush with cash thanks to the lucrative drug-trafficking and protection rackets on his Kuala Lumpur turf.

“To live a luxurious life you have to deal in drugs. There is a lot of money to be made,” the burly, mustachioed gang captain, now 33, told AFP, asking that his real name be withheld.

But these are perilous times for people like him.

Malaysian police are battling to douse a burst of gang violence blamed on drug-trafficking turf battles, readily obtainable guns, and government policies that critics say marginalise Malaysia’s two million ethnic Indians, driving many into crime.

Public concern over robberies and street crime has escalated for years in Malaysia, but this year’s surge in gun violence has shocked a nation proud of its record of stability despite a tense mix of races and religions.

High-profile unsolved killings have included those of Malaysia’s deputy customs chief in April and a respected former banker in July.

Blaming gangs, police in August launched a national crackdown that has seen 21,000 suspected gang members arrested and more than a dozen shot dead, including “04” members.

But gangsters and crime experts warn that the Indian-dominated syndicates have deep roots, including links to police and politicians.

“The gangs have been around for too long and the networks have grown too big. You can silence them for a while but not eliminate them,” Raju said in the Tamil language spoken by most Malaysian Indians.