Shaw Bros 50 years ago

[teako170]

With the recent passing of Run Run and seeing his sons in the newspapers it reminded me of another episode, albeit tragic as well, that transpired many years prior.

... February 6th, 1964

On this date 50 years ago, the Shaws were victimized in a heinous act when the eldest son of Run Run, Shaw Vee Meng, was kidnapped by five armed men and held hostage for 12 days.

Vee Meng was just a few hundred yards from his home at Caldecott Hill in the Central Region of Singapore when five men ambushed him and his chauffeur as he was leaving for work. Around 9:45 that morning, a van blocked their car's path and two men brandishing pistols jumped out of the back of the van and went for the driver. Another two men rushed out from behind some bushes and jumped into the rear seat with Vee Meng. The kidnappers drove off with their victims while the fifth man followed in the van.

The abduction was witnessed by four women (including the wife of a police inspector) who took down the van's license plate number. Some 3000 men were sent out in one of Singapore's most massive road block operations it had ever seen. Vee Meng's car was later recovered, as well as, the van which had been stolen a few weeks prior.

12 days after their abduction the two blindfolded captors were thrown from a moving vehicle. According to a source close to the family, both Vee Meng and his chauffeur were kept blindfolded throughout their confinement. Both men were unhurt but had lost a good deal of weight and were very weak. Run Run explained to the press that negotiations for a ransom ($250,000 to $1.2 million - reports vary) were made however the Shaw family denied paying it.

Their release triggered an island wide hunt for the kidnappers. The following month, two members of the Soo Kong Tong sect of the 18K Triads were arrested. Eventually all five men were captured and in June 1966 were sentenced to life imprisonment.

This wasn't the last time one of Run Run’s sons encountered such threats. In October 1971 Harold Shaw Vee Chung (Run Run's youngest) was the target for a failed abduction. After a day at the Bukit Timah Race Course, four men in a stolen taxi grabbed Harold at gunpoint. Harold put up a valiant struggle but was shot in the arm and abducted. During a car transfer to another vehicle, he made a brazen getaway and contacted police.

Oddly enough (dumb crook award) the abductors still tried to squeeze a ransom out of the Shaw family despite their bungled kidnapping. With Harold being moved to Hong Kong (and older brother Vee in Europe), a sting operation was set up. A police decoy (Ng Woon Poh) was sent in Harold's place with the ransom money and meet up with one of the kidnappers. A gun battled ensued and the kidnapper was mortally wounded. Officer Poh received Singapore's Police Gallantry Medal (also known as the Medal of Valor) which was given to police officers for an act of courage in a dangerous situation.

[KyFi]

Interesting, teako---I had never heard about that. Thanks for posting.

[reason108]

Yes. Very interesting. Thanks for sharing that info.

[ShawAngela]

Thanks for sharing.