'We just need someone to have faith in us': Bak kut teh boss gives ex-convict second chance in life

"Of course I want to work, but where can I find a job? I'm covered in tattoos, who would want [to hire] me?"

That was Ah Seng's first reaction when asked if he was seeking employment in 2012. He was 48 and had just finished serving time in prison.

While living at Breakthrough Missions, a halfway house for drug addicts, a staff member introduced him to Jabez Tan, the founder of Soon Huat Bak Kut Teh.

For Ah Seng, that was the turning point of his life.

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Speaking with Lianhe Zaobao, Ah Seng shared how he used to serve as a runner for an illegal moneylending service. In order to collect debts, he would use various weapons to cause hurt to others.

For stabbing someone's hand, he was sentenced to 10 years in jail and caned 24 times.

After he was set free, he turned to Breakthrough Missions for rehabilitation and was presented with an employment opportunity.

While he was initially hopeful, he felt like someone had thrown cold water on him when he turned up for an interview at Soon Huat, only to told to wait for a phone call instead as Tan had been too busy that day.

"Telling me to wait for a call was like telling me they weren't hiring," he told the Chinese daily but fortunately, Tan quickly called him back with a job offer.

A second chance

After working at the eatery for four years, Ah Seng was promoted to supervisor of Soon Huat's Jalan Kayu branch.

But he found himself in prison again after getting involved in another fight.

Despite this, he was welcomed back to Soon Huat with open arms by an understanding boss.

Tan himself had served 13 years in jail for various offences. He told the Chinese daily: "I'm the same too. Even though Ah Seng's been in and out of prison a few times, I'm willing to give him the opportunity to learn from his mistakes."

Since starting the social enterprise in 2012, Tan has made it a point to hire ex-convicts to provide them with a new start in life. 40 per cent of his current staff are ex-offenders, low-income residents, and single mothers, he said.

Sharing Ah Seng's story in a recent Facebook post, Tan wrote: "Life always offers you a second chance, it's called tomorrow.

"A second chance is given for us to prove that we could do better even after we fall. We just need someone to have faith in us."

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