This Christmas, 70-year-old Penangite Moses Tan — the first former drug addict to enrol at Malaysia Bible Seminary — looks back on his life.
“I came from a very poor family in Penang,” he told FMT Lifestyle. His father had travelled to China to fight during the Japanese Occupation and returned addicted to opium — a dependency that cast a long shadow over the family’s life.
They lived near the Penang Club (now located on Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah), then an area surrounded by gambling dens and gang activity.
Despite his surroundings, Tan excelled academically. “I became the first in my family to study in English,” he revealed.
As a child, he raised livestock to help support his family. Yet, discrimination by his teachers and peers owing to his background left deep scars.
“When I was young, all I wanted was to be rich,” he recalled.
After completing Form Five, Tan moved to Kuala Lumpur and found work in the electrical trade. There, he mixed with rough company and was frequently drawn into street fights.
His descent into heroin addiction began when he tried to help a friend leave gang life. “That’s when he introduced me to heroin. At first, I had no problem with it — because I had money.”
But then the money ran out. Tan returned to Penang, borrowing, begging, and eventually selling drugs to support his addiction. In his 20s, he was arrested for possession.
“The magistrate told me I could pay a RM300 fine or go to prison for three months,” he said.
“My sister wanted to pay, but I said no — I really wanted to give up heroin. No one who is addicted wants to stay that way.”
Prison, however, did not end his addiction. “The temptation was so strong that when I came out, I went to see the pusher before seeing my mother.”
Even after his brother sold a car to fund his rehabilitation, Tan relapsed. When his elder sister urged him to pray — “I was never religious growing up” — his anger nearly turned violent.
Broken and ashamed, Tan eventually agreed to apply to Grace Home, a rehabilitation centre in Penang. While waiting for admission, his former associates offered him work as an international drug courier — a role that, if caught, could have led him to the death sentence.
Tan initially agreed — but then, unexpectedly, a place at Grace Home opened up. He chose rehabilitation instead and has remained drug-free ever since.
After rehabilitation, Tan originally planned to rebuild his life financially. Instead, he felt drawn towards ministry.
He went on to become the first former drug addict to enrol at Malaysia Bible Seminary and later earned a Bachelor of Ministry.
He would eventually return to the world of drug addiction — this time as a pastor, preaching at rehabilitation centres and offering support to death-row inmates.
Marriage and fatherhood further reshaped his understanding of success. “People say money is the root of all evil. That’s wrong — the love of money is the root of all evil,” he stressed.
Despite opportunities to serve in Australia and New Zealand, Tan chose to remain in Malaysia, believing his calling was at home.
In 1990, the couple founded Cross Power Tabernacle in Subang Jaya, serving undocumented, stateless and marginalised communities, including Chin Myanmar refugees.
Tan has travelled to remote parts of the Philippines for work. In 2004, he went to Aceh after the tsunami to provide aid and support to survivors.
Closer to home, he has supported fishing communities in Penang and sponsored the education of 11 children from underprivileged families.
“Every week, I go to the PPR flats around here and donate food,” he said. It’s for anyone who needs it.
This Christmas, as in years past, his church will open its doors to the public, offering food to all.
And his message to Malaysians this festive season? “We need to be more compassionate,” Tan said. - FMT
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