Sio Sam Ong

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Sio Sam Ong (小三王), literally means Three Little Emperors is a leading Chinese triad in Malaysia; with a strong presence in the north (i.e. Kedah, Perlis). Mainly based in Penang, it is widely considered to be one of the most powerful triads in the country. Like their counterparts in Singapore & Taiwan, the Sio Sam Ong mostly consists of the Hokkien ethnic group.

[edit] Background

It is believed that Sio Sam Ong was established during the 1940's to 1950's; being mainly active in northern Malaysia. According to the Malaysian police, Sio Sam Ong is currently one of the most active triads in Penang and it is believed that its member were actively involved in politics by joining the Malaysian Chinese Association. It is currently headed by Dragon Head, Ong King Ee, nicknamed "Jackie Chan". According to Penang police the triad had been involved in international drug trafficking, kidnap, murder, extortion and illegal money-lending at its height. The triad gain notorious by the slaying of six people in Taman Bersatu, Sungai Petani, in September 1992 . The members were also involved in at least 10 murders in the state in the late 80s and early 90s. There were five members executed for betraying the triad,the remains were exhumed from unmarked graves in Mount Erskine, Penang. Many of its high rankings members are still high on the Malaysian Police wanted list. Sio Sam Ong is one of the offshoots of the Ang Bin Hoay (Society of the Ang People) triad. Ang Bin Hoay is the Hokkien pronunciation of Hung Meng Hooi, whose origins can be traced back to the beginnings of the Qing dynasty. Hung Meng Hooi was an anti-Manchu secret society. The organisation adopted the name Hung because Hung was the reigning name of the Ming dynasty emperors, who are descendants of Chu Yuan Chang, the founder of Ming dynasty. Western scholars called the Hung Meng Hooi a triad organisation because there are always three elements in the name of early Hung Meng Hooi societies. For example, the name Heaven and Earth Society (Tien Ti Hui), contains the heavenly, earthly, and human elements (society representing human beings). Triad becomes a convenient way of identifying Chinese secret societies, so much so that a non-Hung Meng Hooi secret society is also called a triad.