Today-Apr 17
He was part of a group of young men who made headlines in 2010 for going on a gang-related slashing rampage in Bukit Panjang, which landed several other youths in hospital. Now, Mr Mohd Firdaus Abdul Rahim wants to give back to the society he had wronged more than a decade ago . Along with other ex-convicts, the 36-year-old gathered near rental blocks along North Bridge Road on Sunday (April 17) afternoon, where they went door-to-door and handed out about 100 red plastic bags — stuffed with groceries and essential items — to residents. Mr Firdaus, who was released from the Criminal Law Detainee scheme in November 2020 and now works for e-retailer Lazada, recently joined his friend Johari Mohd Salleh’s efforts to give back to the community. Mr Johari, 27, came up with the initiative late last year and has since roped in about 30 ex-convicts, many of whom also currently live or used to live at the North Bridge Road public housing estate.
He told TODAY that they had raised about S$2,000 among themselves to buy most of the items. These include cane sugar, biscuits, face masks, and dates to break fast during the holy month of Ramadan. Mr Johari himself is no stranger to being on the wrong side of the law, having been sentenced to probation in 2014 for robbery, and then serving time in the military detention barracks after breaching his probation conditions. He renounced his gang affiliations early last year.When asked what inspired them to turn over a new leaf, Mr Firdaus said that his parents died when he was detained. Upon his release, he realized that many elderly people lived in his neighborhood, and he wanted to help them when he could not help his mother and father. Read more at: https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/ex-convicts-give-back-to-society-1875036
