Thursday, November 4, 2010

It's WRONG not to know what's WRONG !

The latest gangland killing of Darren Ng at Downtown East last saturday has prompted me to look into my voluminous files and archives. Unk Dicko has been keeping tabs of the local crime situation from the 60's and has never stopped one bit. Crime as a word is easy to define but when we seek out the entirety of its full meaning...it becomes mind-boggling. It encompasses everything from A to Z and much more than that!
However, I have selected this 2 newsclips to highlight the continued scourge of secret societies and gangs within our own island state.
In September 1989, Tan Sai Siong, a popular columnist from the Straits Times, wrote this piece under the "Look Back In Wonder" column.
I took my pen out to immediately highlight some critical points or facts in the article...not realising then that those points ARE STILL VALID and as RELEVANT in the light of the current gang situation as years before.
Especially important for you my readers to consider the words of Professor Harvey C Bunke in the last 5 paragraphs of the article...under " It's Wrong Not To Know What's Wrong" heading.
I'm one of those who agree with the views of this learned Professor when he lamented the decline of American society and saw dark similarities with what was then happening in S'pore.
It's even worse today, situation and approach-wise.

Today many of our youths do not know the significant difference between right and wrong, between good and evil. No, I'm not saying they are plain stupid. Our youths are not entirely to blame for the moral confusion they have inherited...which came as a result of the MISPLACED
APPROACHES AND EMPHASIS ADOPTED BY the Education Ministry and other govt agencies in stemming this rising tide of hooliganism, gangsterism, thuggery, ad nauseum...in the way these samseng-kias ( both sexes ! ) were to be handled, counselled by school counsellors, teachers and others.
An overly soft, non-judgmental approach has been in place and you can judge the results for yourselves...where that has taken us.
I once noticed 3 of my "own" ss darlings coming out from the general office after a counselling session for their horrid misbehaviour.
As soon as they stepped out of the office, they gave each other "High-5s!" and patted each other on the back, gave a "V" sign to some other friends sitting in the canteen. I was at the canteen doing my work but saw everything.
I called the 3 over and they sheepishly approached.
I asked them politely to describe their counselling"session" and whether it had any effect on them...whether they would change their ways as a result.
They were unsurprisingly frank and candid with their feedback to me. It was downright bad news. But I wasn't surprised.
I would not want to relate here what they said to me but suffice to say..it painted a very bleak picture of the effectiveness of this kind of counselling policy.

By the way, I "took care" of that 3 toughies right that day itself...so that similar toughies after that day, never came out feeling that they are more powerful than the Principal, heck even the police or even God. I put heavy doses of healthy fear into such miscreants. Those I dealt with never, ever forgot.
The CID is ever so thankful and has placed it on record. The MOE still has much to do and learn.

[ Straits Times: 2 Sept 1989 ]

Below is just one of many incidents of gangs and their murderous ways.
This one took place in the month of December 2001.
Do not be surprised by the numbers in a wolf pack ( gang members).
These cowards only feel very brave when they have superior numbers in an attack or assault.
When they themselves are cornered...they plead and cry for their safety, their life.
Many had approached Unk Dicko for extra,lawful assistance when they realised they could not move about safely, without themselves becoming victims of revenge attacks.
Many of those I dealt with had been hammered and were lucky not to have been killed.
Not so lucky were those who did the hammering....


[ Straits Times: 19 December 2001 ]

4 comments:

fr said...

For some pupils, counselling doesn't work. They know what counsellors want and put up a show for them. I would say it is good to give them a few strokes of the cane.

Another thing, some parents think their children are well-behaved in school because they are angels at home but monsters in school.

Unk Dicko said...

Many of my very close retired friends... teachers, HODs, VPs and Ps have continued to work as counsellors, even today.
I have had much input from them too.
Their hands are "tied" by the many guidelines and policies on counselling. For example, they are to adopt a "non-judgmental approach" at all times. The content of their discussion is strictly confidential...which means what??
They are often in s terrible BIND.
A recalcitrant often asks for a guarantee that what he/she reveals at such counselling session MUST never be reported to anyone..not to parents, even the school, police etc.
THUS THE TROUBLE-MAKER HAS A SYSTEM-INDUCED ADVANTAGE OVER his counsellor, the entire administration and whatnot!
It has been like this and going on for years...to the ruin of society.
Obviously, if he had said he had murdered someone and secretly buried the body...that would be under "an exclusion" clause that can be reported. Q is how many samsengs confess to this knowing they will hang! NONE !
The method I devised for "processing and handling" them worked so well, that perhaps some responsible professionals out there..journalists,writers,crime fighters,educators, etc might like to get in touch with me personnaly for an insight, study or even write a book.

ANDY: Pop Music Not Pills. © said...

Many young people in Singapore today do not realise that when the present government came into power in the 60s, one of the first few things they did was to rid this island of secret societies. They were a menace then.

If this ugly monster were to rear its ugly head again, woe betide our citizens.

We must all make sure this evil lie in its grave for always...

mamafess said...

My five year old stole some fruit cake to eat. when asked he said he did not do it, that his sister did it. we cane him ten stroke of the rottan for a. saying that his sister eat it.
another 10 for nearly getting his sister in trouble
and another ten for lying. Better to get the rottan from MamaFess then to get it later from the prison guard. Broke my heart to cane but that five year old deserve it.
I totally agree with you