Generation Grit

He promised dying mother he'd never go back to his old ways

The guilt of causing his mother's death made him shake off his gangster past. Today, Wilson Peh counsels troubled youth. This is the latest in a series on millennials who have beaten the odds.

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Mr Wilson Peh was arrested twice, for gang-related activities and drug abuse, and placed in the Boys' Home. He turned over a new leaf and is now a social worker helping at-risk youth.
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Moments after she saw her 15-year-old son arrested by the police in their flat for assault, Wilson Peh's mother collapsed in front of him. The hairdresser had suffered a stroke.

Although she was able to walk with the aid of a walking stick after the stroke, she never recovered from that traumatic episode. Eventually, she needed dialysis and developed other health problems.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on June 18, 2020, with the headline He promised dying mother he'd never go back to his old ways. Subscribe