Teen abducted and assaulted in gang recruitment attempt in JB

The Star

19-07-2025

JOHOR BARU: A Form Four student was abducted, assaulted, and blackmailed by a group attempting to force him into joining an underground society.
The 17-year-old, known as Alex, had just finished playing badminton with friends in Pasir Pelangi on Thursday (July 17) evening when four cars stopped in front of the sports complex and six individuals forced him into a vehicle.
"While in the car, they covered my eyes with a cloth and started slapping my face and hitting my head with their bare hands.
"When we arrived at a bushy area, I was surprised to see more people, including some of my schoolmates, waiting there.
"They took out wooden sticks from the boot of their cars and started bashing me. I used my arms to block the hits," Alex recounted at a press conference on Saturday (July 19).
The group also took nude photos of him, threatening to spread them on social media if he refused to join their gang.
"I was in a lot of pain and wanted them to stop attacking me, so I reluctantly agreed. They also threatened to physically hurt my family members if I told them about the incident or lodged a police report," he said, adding that he was eventually dropped off by the roadside.
Alex revealed that a friend was also attacked on the same day by the same group but was too frightened to come forward.
He sustained injuries to his arms, back, chest, face, and head and received medical treatment at Hospital Sultanah Aminah the following day.
He mentioned that since transferring to his current secondary school four years ago, his schoolmates had been trying to coax him into joining their gang.
"This has been happening since I was in Form One, but it was usually done verbally, and I refused each time.
"This was the first time they assaulted me. Now, I am afraid of going to school, but I don't want to miss my lessons. I am also worried about my family's safety," he added.
His grandmother, known as Kong, 55, said Alex initially kept the incident to himself out of fear.
"When I came home from work that day, I noticed his swollen face and busted lip and asked him what was wrong.
"He kept quiet at first, but I noticed bruises on his arms, so I lifted his shirt and was shocked to see his injuries," she said, urging authorities to investigate the matter.
Johor Baru South OCPD Asst Comm Raub Selamat confirmed the report and stated that investigations are ongoing under Section 363 and Section 324 of the Penal Code for kidnapping a child from lawful guardianship and voluntarily causing hurt using a dangerous weapon.
Stulang assemblyman Andrew Chen, who organised the press conference, praised Alex for his courage to speak out.
"The attack is despicable and should not have happened to a child whose focus should be on their studies," he said, encouraging others facing similar attacks to report the matter to their school and the police.