I'm Possible

As an ex-convict, integrating back into the society is the biggest struggle. Darren Tan, a practicing lawyer, shares his account.

Written By: Vivien Wee | Photos By: Vivien Wee

“Although I have been convicted of several crimes for half of my life, I finally found the purpose of living my life differently,” said Darren Tan, 42. As a young boy, Darren was a latchkey kid who lacked parental love. The now lawyer and director at Invictus Law Corporation craved a sense of belonging - and resorted to doing everything to feel included in society.

Childhood Without Love

Darren grew up in an “old and poor” neighborhood - Boon Lay Estate. In the 80s, it was a social norm for people around the estate to gradually join gangs and associate with drugs.

He would get bullied by other children while roaming the streets alone. Shortly after, loneliness started settling in. To him, gangsters seemed strong and successful.

“They were my ‘heroes’ during those days,” said Darren. 

At age 14, he officially joined a gang and was involved in gang fights, drug and robbery activities. 

Eventually, he was convicted for armed robbery and consumption of drugs, and was sent to the Reformative Training Centre (RTC).

Turning Point

At age 25, he was sentenced to jail for drug trafficking, possession and consumption.

Realizing that the other prisoners were like his “mirrors”, he said: “This is what I will be expecting, this is going to be my life. I will either be in prison or dead somewhere.”

It was the lowest point in his life. He started feeling sorry for himself. “I cried out to a higher being and said that I want to get out of this,” Darren shared.

He challenged God and said: “If God is that powerful, he will be able to transform me into a lawyer.”

Real Hero

After being given the space in prison to think about his future, Darren was finally able to understand himself better, which allowed him to pursue the things he wanted in life. He started studying hard for his ‘A’ levels and aced it.

“In the 80s, TVB dramas were very popular and the lead roles would either be triad bosses or lawyers and that made me look up to these two roles,” said Darren.

Subsequently, he became a director at a smaller law company, Invictus Law Corporation. In 2014, he set up his own charity organization, Tasek Jurong Limited, to aid the underprivileged and kids at risk.

“I have seen many families broken due to drug addicts. I have also encountered how cruel drugs can be,” Darren recalled as that was his biggest regret.

For young people who may be struggling with their identity just as he was, Darren’s final words of advice are, “Create time for yourself to really understand yourself better so as to know what you want your life to be.”