Ex-convicts have a harder time finding jobs, but companies that believe in giving second chances make their hunt easier.
One such enterprise is Soon Huat Bak Kut Teh (Soon Huat BKT), which currently has 3 outlets across Singapore.
56-year-old Mr Lin, a former runner for a loan shark, is one of the ex-convicts who benefited from the company’s practice.
Despite having a tainted past, Mr Lin was hired by the bak kut teh chain, and was formerly promoted to a supervisor overlooking one of the branches.
According to Lianhe Zaobao, Mr Lin was released from prison in 2012. Without a place to stay, the former runner sought help from a halfway house for a job.
He was subsequently referred to Soon Huat BKT for an interview.
However, on the day of the interview, Mr Tan – the founder of the BKT restaurant – was busy and told Mr Lin that he will call him at a later time.
Mr Lin was dismayed upon hearing this, assuming that he had been rejected.
The 46-year-old founder later explained that he had planned on hiring him, but was too occupied at the time.
An ex-convict himself, Mr Tan had been in and out of jail on 5 occasions and spent a total of 13 years behind bars, reports Lianhe Zaobao.
Mr Lin spent the next 4 years working at Soon Huat BKT which reportedly saw him being promoted to a supervisor of the restaurant’s branch at Jalan Kayu.
Unfortunately, he got into trouble with the law over a fight and had to serve time again, according to Lianhe Zaobao.
After being released a few months back, Mr Lin returned to Soon Huat BKT for a job.
Speaking to Lianhe Zaobao, Mr Tan said that customers are very accepting of Mr Lin despite his tattoos, and he planned on training him to become a supervisor again.
Mr Lin was reportedly a runner for illegal moneylending services.
In the process of recovering debts, Mr Lin injured others using weapons. On one occasion, he even chopped off someone’s hand, reports Lianhe Zaobao.
Mr Lin’s longest jail sentence spanned a decade, during which he was caned 24 times.
Despite his past transgressions, Mr Lin is grateful for the opportunity that Mr Chen has given him.
Soon Huat BKT currently has over 20 employees across its 3 stalls, of which 40% are ex-convicts, reports Lianhe Zaobao.
It prides itself as being a company that believes in second chances. Its mission of giving a new lease of life with Bak Kut Teh is emblematic of that.
Kudos to Mr Tan for hiring fellow ex-convicts, giving them a second chance in life.
We hope this encourages other establishments to do the same, looking beyond one’s appearances and past wrongdoings and instead judging them for who they are now.
Featured image adapted from Facebook and Google Maps.
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