What makes a criminal earn the label ‘ruthless’ or ‘cold-blooded’? For Bentong Kali, it was his reputation for shooting without hesitation or aim, meaning anyone, even children, could become a victim at any time of day.
Who was Bentong Kali?
Image Credit: Wikipedia
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Born Kalimuthu s/o Parikisamy in January 1961 in Bentong, Pahang, Bentong Kali began his criminal career at a very young age.
After dropping out of school at 13, he was first arrested at 14. If you thought early imprisonment might have straightened him out, you’d be wrong.
Following a five-year stint in prison, Bentong Kali joined a Chinese triad known as Gang 04, which operated around the Klang Valley. He was imprisoned again in 1985 but released in 1987.
Unfazed, he started his own gang under the same name, Gang 04. By 1990, he and his gang had begun making a name for themselves in Malaysia’s criminal underworld.
Bentong Kali’s reign of terror (1990–1993)
Image Credit: Wikipedia
In the early 1990s, Bentong Kali’s name began appearing in news reports after he shot a bouncer at a club in SS2, Petaling Jaya.
According to former news editor Devid Rajah, Bentong Kali shot the bouncer five times. Miraculously, the victim survived but was left paralysed.
Bentong Kali was later identified as the killer of V. Letchumanan at Tai Kah Seng Restaurant on Old Klang Road. Two others were seriously injured in the same incident.
Just two weeks later, an unemployed man named M. Anathinathan was gunned down near his home on Jalan Klang Lama. Investigations revealed that Anathinathan had previously been imprisoned in Pulau Jerejak in 1986, coincidentally, at the same time as Bentong Kali.
Throughout his crime spree, Bentong Kali was often accompanied by his loyal lieutenant, Gunalan, also known as Billiard. Like Bentong Kali, Gunalan was an ex-convict who had served time in his early 20s.
Innocent lives were not spared
Bentong Kali’s next known crime was a double murder in Kuala Garing, Rawang.
Alongside his gang and Gunalan, he stormed a restaurant armed with machetes, knives, and iron rods. Two innocent patrons, Chanca Singh (46) and Tee Heh Wah (48)—were killed in the attack.
Former Police CID officer Michael Sundram described Bentong Kali as a ruthless man who would kill anyone in his way, whether an enemy or a civilian.
Police briefings revealed that Bentong Kali habitually carried multiple weapons and showed no remorse or hesitation when gunning people down.
In one incident at Jalan Raja Laut, Bentong Kali and Gunalan were searching for rival Mohanan Pilai. Instead, they killed two innocent diners, S. Balarajah and Balwant Singh.
Shot for confronting him over public urination
By mid-1993, it became clear that Bentong Kali had to be stopped. In response, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor police announced a RM100,000 bounty for his capture.
Feeling the pressure, Bentong Kali went into hiding, eventually settling at Flat Taming Jaya in Balakong, where he continued drug trafficking in secret.
His downfall began with a dispute. Resident K. Muthu (24) confronted him for urinating in public. Bentong Kali responded by shooting Muthu point-blank in the face. A police raid followed, uncovering a drug lab, but Bentong Kali escaped.
Image Credit: Citizens Journal
However, police found a crucial clue: his passport, which revealed he had altered his appearance.
Bentong Kali was known to be vengeful. Weeks after the raid, he returned to the flats seeking revenge on Muthu’s friends. Accompanied by Gunalan, he crashed a child’s birthday party and opened fire on the crowd. Four people were killed, and two others were seriously injured.
He later shot a police informant in Jinjang, Selayang, and his final known murder was Abdul Samad Abdul Hamid (65), a stall owner killed when Bentong Kali failed to locate a rival.
Ops Buncit: the end of a criminal empire
Image Credit: Citizens Journal
Fed up with his reign of terror, police launched Ops Buncit, a special task force of over 100 officers dedicated to capturing Bentong Kali.
After extensive investigation, authorities tracked him to a double-storey terraced house in Medan Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.
In the early morning, a highly trained police team surrounded the house. A fierce shootout ensued, and Bentong Kali was killed, marking the end of his violent legacy.
Image Credit: NST
Three days later, on July 2, 1993, Bentong Kali was laid to rest.
Featured Image Credit: NST, Citizens Journal
