I can't comment on the Sarawak gang.
But I know for a fact that the SS has become more powerful because singapore's underground economy has been growing. Underground economy refers to prostitution, betting, cigarette trafficking etc. The bangla, prc, myanmar workers rely on these alternatives to entertain themselves and the gangs have been making good money on these.
yes, there is an unhealthy below the surface "shadow" economy going on in sg. and it's growing by leaps and bounds as a result of the relaxation of immigration and foreign labor importation.
are they powerful? no. not yet to the point where they can influence government and mole their way into organs of authority, regulatory impositions and policy making that will favor their continued success and flourishment. the lack of firearms in their arsenal prevented them from outgunning the authorities and striking fear among the elites.
are they headed by sophisticated, experienced master manipulators connected to crime syndicates in east asia and the larger global market for vice, prostitution, human trafficking, drug smuggling, loansharking and gambling? hopefully not. but i suspect the gates are already wide open in sg for foreign syndicates to creep in due to massive importation of foreigners in a short time without effective firewall enforcement and the proper checks and balance in place. this speaks ill of the gov preventive measures, and it's fuckingly TRUE. denial will get them nowhere.
money begets incentives for greed. and greed breeds crime. and crime evolves to organized crime which is meant to corner the market for more profits. follow the money trail. kids playing with parangs are just the symptom and tip of the spear, so to speak. they are visible, stupid morons who act on the surface wanting to impress, yet they are not the real serious deep threat. some bigger syndicates are egging them on, testing the boundaries, pushing the limits. 369 is just being thrown around and shouted around like it is the real deal in town, when in fact, these homegrown sg gangs are subservient and in alliance with bigger fish already in town. rival gangs with another alliance can frame another gang. all they have to do is shout the name of a rival gang, chop up someone and lay the blame on the other. this is a signature of more sinister syndicates from outside.
the danger to sg is when several outside syndicates (and their respective local alliances) are vying for dominance and monopoly of the shadow economy at the same time. violence erupts, blood flows, and youths die, and unfortunately, unsuspecting local youths who are easily manipulated normally fall victim first. they are the first wave of escalation. the next wave is nastier, with sworn henchmen joining the fray. next involves professional hitmen hired into town. the wave that sg doesn't want to have is when all hell breaks loose, and guns and bombs get smuggled in together with mobs of mercenaries with nothing to lose (a la colombia and a la mexico).
