Gangsters to the rescue

Perlis, a tiny state in northern Malaysia, has decided to employ former gangsters and village bullies to assist the municipal enforcement unit. They have short listed 20 potential candidates and shall be interviewing them shortly.

The proposal to employ ex-gangsters has raised a public outcry. To this, the state chief minister said it was 'a matter of interpretation.'

But the mind-boggler is this; 'He assured the public that the authorities would check with the police to ensure that successful applicants did not have criminal records.'

Perhaps I went to the wrong English class.

For, how can an ex-gangster be called an ex-gangster if he (can't be a she, can it?) does not have a criminal record?