Sunday 1 July 2007

The Big Boss

We called him Boss. Why? Maybe because he was very very much older than us and the fact that he had a lot of money. He first moved in into our neighbourhood after getting out of prison. Yes, he served time for smuggling. It seemed that boss knew no legal ways of earning money.

He was strange and violent. He had 3 children. The eldest one, despite toughened by the violent beatings by his father ended up gay. You would have taught that he would be a mean son of a bitch himself but not, he was gentle. The second one took after his father, a real rouge and a samseng. The youngest a girl, ended up a bitch.

His idea of a row with his wife involved the use of a chopper. I remember once there was so much commotion and shouting and screaming. Of course being the busy body neighbour that we were ( I was perhaps 12 or 13) almost the whole neighbourhood ran to his house. I could see from outside he was holding a chopper with his right hand and his left hand was dripping blood to the floor. He shouted in Hokkien "Lu ai see ah, lu ai see ah". His wife who was about 2 to 3 feet away looked at him in fear. Then suddenly he let fly the chopper, she screamed but the chopper missed her by inches. He turned to look at us and we ran away. After that we found out that prior to the incident, they had a quarrel and she smashed a bottle and ripped his left hand with it.

His idea of disciplining his children must not be known by the people in Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo. I once saw him hanging his 1st son to the gate with a rope tied to his hands and then beat life out of the boy. The second one once had both his hands tied. Using the untied length of string, he swung the boy a few rounds and then just let the string go. The boy went sprawling to the cement floor. Even his pet Alsatian was not spared his wrath. Once he was angry because it left poo on the cement floor, he lifted the dog and smashed it to the floor. King, that was what he called it, ran away for good.

His daughter, once complained to him of receiving obscene phone calls so one day when the call came in, he went to his right door neighbour's house and called his left door neighbour who was an operator in telekoms. Before that he asked his daughter to play along with the caller. The neighbour managed to trace the call to a public phone about 2 kms from his house. He got into his car, sped to the phone booth and saw a boy talking. He caught the boy, stripped him naked and made him walk home.

When I was about 17 my friends and I befriended him. He was nice to us. He never left home without a few thousand ringgit in his pocket. He used to sponsor our parties with the condition that his son's are allowed to attend. We had no choice but to allow the brats to attend. I remember we use to gamble in a friend's house. We would take out about a few bucks each and he would boast and laugh aloud when he took out about 1K to gamble with us.

One more strange thing about him was one year he bred some dogs. Each of his dog had a cage and in each cage he installed a fan. His children were never given a fan in their bedrooms. He was the one who introduced us to blue-films. He had a collection of projectors and hundreds of reels of blue-films. One while screening in a friend's house, one of the customers took early leave and phoned the police. The police arrived and caught the friend who was incidentally a teacher. It made the news in BM. On another occasion, my friend who borrowed a few reels from him left the reels on a bicycle in his house. That night the police raided his house because they suspected that his brother was a bicycle thief. They found the stolen bicycle all right but with a bonus. My friend was remanded for a week. Boss bailed him out the same way that he bailed the teacher friend.

Then there was the time when he accepted 80K to carry drugs to KL. He paid another friend's brother to do it for 20K and pocketed 60K just like that. Then there was the story about the lady who paid him 2K to pour acid on another lady's face. He approached the other lady and told her that he comes to disfigure her face. He said he was paid 4K. She paid him 6K to not do it. He went back to the lady and gave back her 2K and said that he couldn't do it.

Now come to the part that I could never forget. One day we were taking in the teacher's house when boss' car suddenly screeched to a halt in front. He signalled us to get in. We ran to the car and got in and he sped off. We asked why and he said, his sister's bulldozer was just repossessed. After about 10 minutes he spotted the bulldozer. He drove to the side of the driver and told him to stop. The guy refused. He signalled the guy to pull over a few times but to no avail. Then he sped to the front, turned the car and stopped. The bulldozer had to use the giant scoop to brake. Boss took a truncheon from underneath his seat, went to the driver and gave the driver a hard blow square in his forehead. The driver a hunk of a man himself, staggered and bled profusely. We, in the car were shocked and scared stiff. Then boss got into the car and drove to the police station to make a report. We were still pale.

When I left for college, I seldom meet him and it has been about 30 years since I last saw him. Recently a friend told me that he is still alive but a lonely man. His wife left him a long time ago and his children do not want to have anything to do with him.

30 comments:

Anonymous said...

woww, with crazy sum of money at his disposal, this boss sounded more like a mobster than a street gangster to me. maybe al pacino's scarface-like mob minus the guns.

Unknown said...

A typical true story of one who miss uses his wealth..doing bad..nothing good and committed to bad thoughts by robbing and stealing.
ave we not seen all KTN.

tokasid said...

Salam che'gu:

Wah taiko betoi uncle tu...
I think he was much feared by many rather than respected those days. Who wouldn't.He a very enterprising person too( the 6ok drug money and the 4k profit without disfuguring anyone).
Now at this age, none feared him anymore and no one respected him. The people whom he abused for years left him for good and he's lonely.I wonder what is in his mind now. Does he regret about his past(esp hiw he treated him own family)? And I wonder why he installed those fans to the dogs?

Bottomline: Crime doesn't pay.

ZABS said...

Salam Che'gu,
Semasa di kampong dulu saya pun ada jiran, jenis macam ni, cuma dia tak ada byk duit. Keluarga semua takut bagai nak gila dengan dia. Suruh anak2 mencuri untuk dia nak guna beli minuman keras bila duit gaji dia habis, dan untuk makan. Bila dia mabuk waktu malam, anak2 habis lari takut kena belasah. Dia juga maki semua jiran bila air setan tu dah ambil alih otak dia. Dia kerja kilang padi, dia ambil lebihan beras dalam mesin untuk makanan keluarga, duit gaji dia habis guna "minum2". Anak semua tak menjadi dan kebanyakan terlibat dengan hal-hal yang tidak baik. Sampai sekarang, orang kampong masih tertanya2 macam mana dia mati, sebab suatu malam tu kita dengar dia mabuk2 dan maki2 jiran2 dan keluarga dia. Esoknya anak dia jumpa dia dah meninggal di halaman rumah. Ada tanda2 kena pukul. Wallahua'lam.

Unknown said...

Monty,
one think that I kind of just realised, until now I don't know his name. I only know him as boss and he loved being called that.

Unknown said...

Doc,
Fear is the word. Saya pun tak tau macam mana kami buleh campoq dengan dia. Exactly doc, Crime doesn't pay. Dia sendiri pun masuk penjara.

Unknown said...

Zabs,
There you are, bukan saya saja yang ada cerita macam ni, orang lain pun. Ini jugak buktikan orang jenih ni mewakili banyak bangsa, bukan cina saja, orang melayu dan India pun banyak macam ni. What make them do what they did?

Mat Salo said...

Wow!

This is the best "Big Boss" story since I was a Std 2 or 3 at the premiere of Raymond Chows classic of the same name. Now please don' bring up Ti Lung or David Chiang, Sir.. haha...

I just love this story Chegu - it has got all the right elements in it - gripping stuff..

Some people might have similiar stories - but only you can do it justice.

Take it further, cari orang tua tu kot? He might be a broken man now, but he sure as hell has plenty of "interesting" stories to tell .. life's lessons for the rest of us.

But you are so right, Chegu. Orang jenih tu bangsa kita pon banyak..

Baguih citer2 hang Chegu.. banyak pengajaran. Macam citer Teuku Nyak Puteh pulak...

But kengkadang I sit and wonder, Chegu. Banyak lani "criminal" yang get off scott free. Yang tu tak tau pulak bila depa nak "pay"... Akhirat nanti kot? Hai...

Unknown said...

In oldern days...Penang and Melaka are famous chinese gangsters. Now it focuss more in Klang....but their trade has changed from being ruffians to totally professional jobs...like being bookies...run brothel house under the diguises as health centres...'ah longs'...all huge multi million RM business profits per month.
The story you put out is true...but quite rare nowadays...but nice to recall those braggarts of yesteryears.What you experienced is an uneducated bastard that got filthy rich out of robbing and stealing...and love people call him boss.
There was a famous guy...same character at Jalan Bander, K.Lumpur who lend RM1000 to all hawkers and take back RM20 per day as interest....some 45 years ago.He became so filthy rich....and all his side kicks will beat or even catch a daughter from one borrower to become a prostitute...if no payments. To cut the story short....He had two wives and the children fought over his properties...all know how to enjoy.....and became paupers with that old man died a slow death of sufferings..pains and aches....yet he will get his pain killing injections and go out to enjoy. he love dancing and find young girls...and he died lying at bed...skin and bones...slowely dying...and no care to visit his funeral parlour. He was cremated and all thrown to sea...as no children also mourn for him. I used to visit the Petaling Street vendors and talk of him with those old blokes...just for conversation sake...and up to now...people hate him like poison.

buayaputih said...

Just wonder what are those people think nowadays, looking back at the glory days just to live with it when you are tainted (shitted) and unblessed..sad? That's pathetic. Alas, we never know what'll happen, not even us.

Kadang2 alim pun mati di longkang, yang jahat pun mati di katil.

Unknown said...

MS,
There are many stories that I could tell about Boss here especially about one of his understudy murdered another and served time but it was just too gory.

Ah yes, Bruce Lee. I idolise that guy. Ti lung and the gangs are nothing compared to him. I remember having to work painting my house porch for 2 days to get 15 ringgit to see Enter The Dragon. But amongst all I love Fist of Fury most. Many would say I am crazy, but I do not rate any of the new fellas anywhere near him, even Jackie Chan but I have seen a Siamese fella whose name I don't know who is quite good.

Unknown said...

Monty,
You are right, in the 60s right to the 80s if you read about robberies, gang fights, and murders, they are usually about the Chinese. Then in the 90s they are taken over by the Malays including Indons and the Indians. The Chinese have graduated to more sophisticated crimes. The most sophisticated criminals are of course our ruling politicians.

Unknown said...

Buayaputih,
You are right in a way. Memang yang alim pun kadang2 mati dalam longkang. Its not where you die that matters, but how you die, how you feel when you are about to die. Do you feel, I am ready? Do you feel, please god give me a little bit of time more?
Or do you feel please take me god, I can't stand this anymore?

Unknown said...

kata tak nak....That Siamese guy name is Phanom Yeeram and his famous movie is 'ONG-BAK"

Unknown said...

Monty,
Yeah Ong Bak. I have seen some clips of him and he is really good. My son's girlfriend is a Siamese from Bangkok and she said that he is actually wanted by the gangsters in Thailand. I don't know why.

Anonymous said...

Bruce lee sets the benchmark and i believe he was/is idolised by millions of kungfu enthusiasts, which includes jackie chan and jet li.

no disrespect to bruce, but being in the bracket of younger generation, jackie chan gets my vote as i grew up watching his earlier pre-hollywood films such as drunken master.

maybe u r right abt none being as great as bruce lee but jackie chan comes the closest ever.

Unknown said...

Why I like Bruce Lee? His fighting scenes are not too long. There are not too many unnecesary fighting scenes put there just for the sake of putting them there. His fight scenes are more beliveable. Yes, he is not as funny as Jackie Chan I admit.

Unknown said...

Bruce Lee is the first Chinese to let all Chinese martial arts out for the Americans to learn. His death was somewhat related to his unselfish open minded attitudes. He developed his own style and proven to be the best. Next line line closest to really know martial art is Jet Li...and Jakie Chan learned from him.
Jackie Chan is a showman par excellence...not really a serious martial art man.
Yes..kata tak nak...that actor of "Ong Bak"......like all youngster getting rich was becoming an braggart in society....and did kill someone in real life.....so I heard too.
But he made his third movie just few months ago....proving he is okay....not wanted by the police.
But his art are similar to Jackie Chan.
Only Jet Li ....you can compare to Bruce Lee.....no one else.

tokasid said...

Salam che'gu:
At the moment I have lots of VCDs of the 70s kungfu flicks by Shaw Bros which they are selling very cheap cheap one mah....and you cannot get a pirated version of them.
There's Ti Lung, David Chiang,Alexander Fu Sheng( he would be big if not for his early death),Chen Kuan Tai, Yuen Hwa etc.Watching them again we'll see how the martial arts choreography had advance.
The stories are similar in all kungfu flicks- a young brat who is very mischieveous, father upset with him and send him to a Sifu but he is always very playful and refuse to learn.Father is wealthy/influential/master of kungfu and had enemies.When son at Sifu's, baddies come and kill the whole family and family's name plate at door broken into 2. Son comes home and find all dead.Got angry and wants revenge.Sifu said U not good yet.Me train U become very good and can kill Big Boss of rival/taiko/along etc.
Son practice day and night.Also create his own kungfu when saw animal or insect fighting...When he feel already 'terror' left Sifu at night and find big boss samseng.Tell big boss me want kill U.Big boss laugh hah3..then fight.Before the end...hero kill big boss samseng. The End.

Despite the same story repeatedly I still find the 70s Shaw kungfu flicks very entertaining esp The 36th Shaolin Chamber.

Unknown said...

Doc,
Yes, your description of the plots of the kung fu flicks of the 70s are right. I personally feel that it is not for want of originality but rather to meet the needs of the viewers. The viewers of yesteryears wanted those kind of story-lines. I guess every human good or bad loved the good triumphing over evil and crime does not pay kinda thing. Maybe one day one of us could write something about this. Why are Hindi plots the way they are, why are Malay movies the way they are and why of late Tamil movies have run away from their hindi counterpart in terms of plot.

Anonymous said...

Dear Chegu,

Terkedu kedu saya baca posting nih Che Gu. Ish samseng sungguh si boss nih.

Violence breeds contempts. I believe this saying entirely

Unknown said...

kata tak nak...I alway enjoy old movies. Look at all those P.Ramli's movies.....the girls are as sexy as today's WITHOUT showing off half their breasts. And all those Chinese movies...be it KungFu or otherwise...I still find them as sexy and appealing as against those crude and vulgar ways they now present themselves in so call modern movies.
And I do have almost all old chinese movies in DVD format....but cannot find DVD on P.RAMLI.
I brought few sets of P.Ramli to Indonesia and they like the movies alot!! I wonder why can't RTM arrange to have them shown in Indonesia.

Anonymous said...

wahh, i'm impressed. i hv never heard any of the names mentioned by tokasid. ti lung sounds familiar but still doesnt ring any bell.

david carradine anyone? hahahha...

Unknown said...

Elvisa,
I grew up in a lawless district called Bukit Mertajam. You can find all kinds of characters here. Yes, Boss was violent but I am sad at how he ended up.

Monty,
I don't think the gov is serious about promoting P. Ramlee. It is merely lip-service. They would be interested if there is money for them otherwise, once in a year they celebrate his birthday or deathday.

Kerp,
Those were the years when Chinese Kung Fu movies began to really go international and garnered quite a following here amongst the non-chinese. Now Jackie Chan and Jet Li's movies are watched by many Malays. I wonder when would we have Malay movies tastefully done so as to attract more non-Malay viewers. Please don't mention Yusof Haslam's movies. Yuck!

Anonymous said...

cikgu,
haslam's sembilu and the likes to attract the non-malays? fat chance.
its lame and boring, so we cant blame the non-malays for avoiding such films. saya melayu sendiri pon tak boleh nak terima. lansung tak membina minda.

i hv no idea y the malays love chinese films so much but to me personally movies with names like jackie chan, jet li, and even stephen chow are just too good to miss.

Unknown said...

Kerps
Maybe one day when we have bigger budget, better scripts, better actors and more viewers, in the mean time, Jangan Pandang Belakang.

Unknown said...

kerp is right...the quality of our local movies and actors and their sense of realities in probs are cheap and childish.
I have a strange feeling...we can never be great in movies...firstly..our country in limited..too small population...not like India ..China or even Indonesia.....that do give profits to every movie made...good or lousy because of the huge population. Same in music....as most of our malay singers got rich through Indonesia audiences support.
And Indonesia is miles ahead against us in movie productions.

Unknown said...

Monty,
I agree with you there but I also have one more thing to add. Government consordhip and regulations also do not help.

Our movie-makers are restricted from making many types of movies. We can't show police corruption or corruption by ministers.

Unknown said...

Can't show corruptions of police and ministers means guilty as hell.
How to go forward to Vision2020 with such sickening mentalities.
You forgot...can't kiss...can't wear too sexy...even if the role of the actress is a prostitute.
Might as well...redo P.Ramlee {thanks for right spelling!}...and all those stupid childish movies over and over again. look at today's paper a lady Muslim singer charged for wearing not decently and she pose the dress....so old fashion and decent. Why are the govt getting daily more and more idiotic and hypocritical monkies?
The irony is ministers and politicians are experts on make believes in Malaysia.....yet the art to be used in movie making ...shown by them are curtailed.
That intelligence is Malaysia's uniqueness......hahahahahahaha

Unknown said...

Monty,
Our government are trying to tell us how to live our lives. If they are showing good examples then maybe its alright but they themselves are no better than animals and they are trying to teach us.

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