Over the years, the 53-year-old's stature among gambling syndicates grew and he began mopping up smaller racketeers.
Police sources said it only took a short time for his gambling syndicate to become one of the country's largest.
He handpicked his right-hand men, and one of them was a former police officer from the Sentul district.
The officer was among 13 injured in the blast outside Cherry Blossom club in Sun Complex.
Police are still searching for Ah Hai, who went to ground after the attack, to facilitate investigations.
“We tried contacting him and even went to his house but there was no sign of him,” said a police source.
“We believe he is still in town and we are confident of catching up with him by tonight (Friday).”
The source said police had recorded statements from the club's owner and employees, as well as traders around the area.
“We are in the middle of questioning the 13 injured victims,” he said.
During the 4am incident, two men hurled a couple of grenades from the second floor of the Sun Complex parking lot just as Ah Hai and his entourage were leaving the Cherry Blossom club.
Ah Hai was at the club to negotiate a bookie recruitment drive, and it is believed his rivals came to know about the meeting.
He escaped unscathed, but car jockey Tiong Kwong Yie, 36, died in the attack. Ah Hai's driver and personal bodyguard are among those injured.
It was revealed to Malay Mail on Thursday that Ah Hai was targeted because he was “pinching” bookies from the top syndicates.
Although there were 22 CCTV cameras in the area, not all of them captured the incident.
“That is one of the challenges we are facing now,” said the police source.
“We can only so far confirm it was the carried out by two men based on footage from the parking area.”
Police are still trying to establish the men's identities as the recordings were not clear.
In 2006, Ah Hai was high on the wanted list for suspected involvement in one of the largest illegal bookmaking rackets in Malaysia.
He was also previously arrested under the Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) Act 1985 for drug trafficking and possession.
He owns several businesses in Bukit Bintang, and police are investigating them.
Ah Hai leads a lavish life. Malay Mail discovered that he splurges at least RM20,000 to RM30,000 each time he goes to Cherry Blossom, his favourite haunt.
His reputation of giving generous tips also made him a favourite at the club. -Malay Mail
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