Sociology and anthropology in play

 To fully comprehend onto the recent spike of events occurring, we need someone with some knowledge in the fields of sociology and anthropology to decipher it. With child abortion to some youngster slapping her mother, to now, a youtube video threatening a 14 year old. Wow, and what amaze me is the frequent train breakdowns.

Singapore had experience a wave of gangs in the 80s and 90s. With some help from police, these gangs are relatively unheard of in the 2000s, until now. All the worst news we’ve heard of are minor cases like tweeting about his O-levels in the exam hall or having sex in public. Everything to be ashamed of, but nothing of a big deal. The worst off? Just flunking your exams or having a baby (with a high chance of abortion). But now, it have things to do with the triad society. 

For a long time, triad societies in the 90s were high profile. With them at the local coffee shops (the locals termed as Kopitiam), drinking beer in the middle of the night, and starts swearing at each other. With random fights every other day, the mainstream broadsheet newspaper just did not report each and every fight. But with the arrival of the new millennium, triad societies had to be low key to survive.

Police had tried successful to curb the acts of such unlawful acts. Curfew were enforced strictly (like no teens were allowed without adults supervision after 11pm) since gangs in the 90s were rampant with teenagers. Triad activities now were just loan shark activities (with some football/lottery bookies) unlike the drug peddling and prostitution in the past. (well, prostitution business are still part of their trade, but it is rare now after pimps are illegal). Triad activities are commonly known as a counterculture.

The spring of all such activities now might partially be due to the hugely popular drama series starring ex Hollywood actress, Fann Wong. The show? “On the Fringe”. This show starring Fann is about triad activities among the veterans and the youngsters (who are in a gang called WCS-We Can Survive). Although this show aims to prevent youths from falling astray, however, it instead glamorised triad societies on a whole. Which is better? Being jobless, lonely, unable to pay off the home loans, and no money for food or being in prison, well-fed, with people to talk to? It seems radical if you chose the latter.

It seemed like a cycle, but can we reverse the cycle? It looks like a job which takes forever, especially with the rise of tension among youths (like the riot triggered by youths in the UK just recently). But nonetheless, it is an uphill task.