You probably never had to observe such a dress code to attend a function – dye your hair yellow or gold! Well, about 1,000 did and they each paid RM200 to attend the event.
- Zhang Jian’s shady past includes investigations into suspected pyramid schemes
- Reportedly making a comeback in Malaysia
- A new scheme purportedly offers 5-fold returns every 2-3 months
Update: Zhang Jian was arrested in Indonesia yesterday. Chinese Central Television (CCTV) just aired the footage of his arrest. The state media confirmed that the Wuxingbi scheme founded by Zhang was illegal. Zhang, whose real name is Song Miqiu, had been wanted by Chinese authorities since March 2016. The Chinese police had issued a Red Alert to Interpol.
The charity dinner at Chai Leng Park, Butterworth, on Sunday was said to be organised by Zhang Jian – the controversial Chinese national who unabashedly proclaims himself as the “future richest man in the world”.
Only those who observed the yellow or gold hair rule were allowed to enter, with the lure of an RM1,000 incentive for those who sported “the right look”.
Most of the guests arrived in vehicles with non-Penang registered number plates, while some came in chartered buses.
Zhang was nowhere to be seen and is said to be in the Maldives.
The media was not allowed to enter the community hall to cover the event.
This is not the first time bizarre dress codes have to be followed in order to attend similar charity dinners. In previous events, women came with their heads shaved, some sported tattoos of Zhang, and some men even wore dresses.
According to Chinese dailies, Zhang’s multi-level marketing company is said to be making a comeback in Malaysia by organising a series of dinners around the country, including in Kuala Lumpur, Johor Baru and Sabah. Reportedly, hundreds of members from China attended one of the events.
The CDTUP International Sdn Bhd and YSLM Millionaire Scheme founder has had previous brushes with Malaysian authorities.
His companies were brought to court in 2014 and several investigations were opened under the Direct Sales and Anti-Pyramid Scheme Act 1993. The New Straits Times reported that two cases were forwarded to the Deputy Public Prosecutor for the director to be charged in court, while three other cases are under investigation.
At that time, the domestic trade, cooperatives and consumerism ministry claimed YSLM was not registered with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) and operated without a ministry licence.
In late 2014, Zhang was reportedly arrested in Thailand for allegedly scamming RM605m from thousands in Thailand, Malaysia and China.
In April this year, a new scheme called the Five Element Coin was purportedly offered to members, with the alleged promised that the value of the coins will increase five times every two to three months.
With the media referring to him as a “Chinese conman” and the recent spate of busted money games and dubious “investment” products with unrealistically high returns, you would think that no one would touch get-rich-quick schemes with a ten-foot pole – at least for now.
Alas, the turnout of about 1,000 people – not a small number by any measure for a dinner – tells a different story. The public’s eagerness to attain instant riches – come what may – has not dampened.