Ang pao giving isn’t always expected during Chinese New Year, contrary to belief. Unfortunately, Julau MP Larry Sng recently got into a bit of trouble after some people took offense to the amount he was handing out, despite doing it out of the goodness of his heart.
On Sunday (11th February), Larry Sng had been handing out RM5 ang paos to children for luck and to preserve the Chinese custom while visiting houses. However, a group of men kicked up a fuss over the amount after asking for the packets. Regretfully, that got them arrested!
Julau MP Larry Sng later explained that the money had mainly been for children. He had not planned on giving them to adults. However, during his visits, he came across some gangsters who asked him for ang paos as well. “I told them it was (a) small amount, but since they insisted, I gave it to them for luck,” he shared on his Facebook.
The head of the gang later gave him an ang pao with RM20 in return. However, before leaving the Pakan district officer’s house, he was accosted by four of them, including the head who were displeased and told him the amount was too small. Larry agreed with them and tried to tell them he would prepare more next year. They also asked for RM500, which he agreed to bank in to someone they knew.
However, as he got into the car to leave, they refused to disperse and started arguing with Larry Sng’s supporters, almost pushing Tuai Rumah Empi to the ground. “It had come to my attention later that the head of the gang had informed someone in my entourage that they had prepared weapons in their car and was planning to attack me,” Larry added.
The incident was concerning enough that Larry felt the need to file a report at the police station. The Julau MP also added that this was not the first time he had crossed paths with these gangsters in particular. Allegedly on 13th May the same gangster had damaged his car, and later it had been stolen.
Additionally, Larry believes the gang might hold a grudge against him. Apparently, their head had previously supported another candidate during the election and lost big money in gambling when he bet on Larry losing the last general election.
Police later arrested the four suspects at 6pm on 12th February for further investigation, which is being carried out under Section 506 of the Penal Code. If convicted, one will face a jail term of up to two year, or a fine, or both.
Well, we sincerely hope things get cleared up soon for the Julau MP’s sake. In the meantime, we sincerely hope others will be more understanding and gracious when it comes to receiving ang paos.
Sources: Facebook, China Press
