“I took drugs like I was taking giam sng di”: Mixed up in gangs and drugs since 12, he finally broke when his mother visited him in prison

At a stylishly-decorated cannabis shop overseas, Francis How, a Singaporean, stood with his arm across the shoulders of his young son Jace. 

“Son, cannabis is legal here.

“But it is a drug that can lead to serious addiction and will destroy your life. That means you can’t see Papa, Mama and your family again. Except maybe during short prison visits. You don’t want that kind of life, right?” Francis said.

“If an eye for an eye is still a punishment today, I will be missing one eye right now.”

“No!” exclaimed Jace, then 9, moving deeper into his father’s protective embrace.  

That thoughtful and loving conversation in 2024 brought back memories of a younger Francis.

Francis himself was just 12 when he had his first taste of cannabis with his gang of “brothers”. It led him down the slippery slope into a life of drugs, gangs, crime and violence.

“If an eye for an eye is still a punishment today, I will be missing one eye right now,” Francis, now 51, told Stories of Hope.

 One senses his deep remorse over taking out the eye of a rival gang member in a violent fight years ago. 

Today, Francis (pictured with two of his four children, Jovanna, now 12, and Jace, now 10) is a caring, compassionate man, who loves his family and community.

Francis has been drug- and crime-free since January 2006.

He was lauded in Parliament in May 2024 by Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam for being one of the success stories of Singapore’s strict drug control policy. 

Kopi kia, recruiter of gang members

At the tender age of eight, Francis sold newspapers and became a kopi kia (Hokkien for a child selling drinks at the drinks stall) to earn his pocket money. 

It was also the year his mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Roaming the streets, he was searching for love, acceptance, security and worth – everything that he didn’t have, with his father who was absent and his mother who was unwell.

He thought he found it when he was recruited into a gang at 12 and got his first taste of cannabis.

Growing up, young Francis (second row, right) felt alone, lonely and lost. He dropped out of school at age 14.

“The gang gave me the sense of love, acceptance and security that I longed for. I felt I mattered to them,” he explained.

Heady with a sense of belonging, Francis became a passionate recruiter of boys to the gang. 

“I took drugs like I was taking giam sng di’.”

“When I was 15, my gang introduced me to heroin. I got addicted and lost all sense of what is right and wrong,” he said.

He also consumed methamphetamine, Ecstasy, K, yaba and pills.

“I took drugs like I was taking giam sng di (Hokkien for preserved snacks like salted plums)’.

“I took part in gang activities such as extortion, gambling, drug trafficking, housebreaking, theft, robbery and gang fights to feed my addiction.”  

Caught, he was put under police supervision from the ages of 15 to 17 as he was too young for prison. However, he returned to drugs afterwards.  

“You’ll be safer in prison” 

In all, Francis spent 10 years and nine months in jail over four separate sentences from the ages of 18 to 32. He was punished with six strokes of the cane. 

In all those years in jail, Francis’ loving mother turned up monthly to visit him despite having schizophrenia. 

“I had caused Mum to cry and worry for me. I wanted to change so I could love and care for her. Was there any hope I could ever change?” Francis asked.

 “When she visited me during my fourth prison sentence, she told me she was glad I was safely in prison and not getting into more trouble outside.

“It broke me. I realised Mum still loved me.

“I had caused her to cry and worry for me. I wanted to change so I could love and care for her. Was there any hope I could ever change?

“I felt useless, hopeless, a good-for-nothing. I thought that prison was my destiny and my life,” he admitted. 

“This Jesus who made a big, tattooed man cry”

Francis was depressed when he returned to his cell.

He found a Christian devotional guide Our Daily Bread that belonged to his cellmate, who was not of that religion. 

“I don’t know why I read it,” Francis said.

“I felt useless, hopeless, a good-for-nothing. I thought that prison was my destiny and my life.”

Francis had prayed a prayer to receive Jesus into his life during his previous prison stint, after joining a chapel session merely to get out of his cell. 

He recalled: “I was touched by the message. But I didn’t follow Jesus as I didn’t know what that meant and continued to do what I was doing.

“This time, after reading the guide for a few days, I told God, ‘I don’t know how to handle my life.’

“So, I gave my life to Him. I didn’t want to come back to prison again.

“Then something inside me changed. I wanted to know this Jesus who made me cry.”

“I wanted to know this Jesus who can make a big man like me, with a body filled with tattoos, cry and cry when He touches my heart,” said Francis (pictured with daughter Jayla, now 6).

Francis then got hold of both the English and Chinese Bibles.

Despite his lack of command of both languages, he was determined to read the Bible “because I wanted to know this Jesus who can make a big man like me, with a body filled with tattoos, cry and cry when He touches my heart.”

He told Stories of Hope: “God clearly showed me that I needed to leave the gang because ‘bad company corrupts good character’. (1 Corinthians 15:33)

“I obeyed God even though cutting ties was tough. But I sensed God telling me to ‘be strong and courageous, and He is with me wherever I go’ .” said Francis. 

“I prayed but God didn’t answer me in the way I asked,” Francis said with a laugh.

“Instead, he sent me into solitary confinement.” 

“Dirty” but honest work

After leaving prison for what would be the final time in 2006, Francis stayed away from his former gang friends. 

However, after two months, he was still jobless, broke and bored. 

“I blamed God for not giving me a job. But I am thankful that He heard my cry for help.”

Rekindling old ties led to another gang fight, in which he broke his hand. 

“Fearing that I would slip back into my old ways, I cried out to God for help.

“Well, I know this sounds entitled, but I blamed God for not giving me a job. But I am thankful that He was merciful and heard my cry for help.”

Francis’ brother unexpectedly gave him a job in his company.   

It was his new beginning.  

Francis’ brother, Alan How (seated centre), gave Francis a job and new beginning.

At a shipyard in Tuas, Francis toiled long hours in a job most would have shunned for being “dirty and oily”.

“The job kept me very busy and away from my former life. While I did not enjoy it, I learnt the value of making an honest living.”

This paved the way for him to set up his own marine engineering firm in 2009, which he still operates today with his wife, Jolene.  

“The job kept me very busy and away from my former life … I learnt the value of making an honest living.”

 Francis remembers vividly the dismal beginnings of his new company. With no track record in this niche industry segment, he had no business for seven months.  

Desperate, Francis turned to God again.

He was reassured while reading his Bible that God’s “plans are to prosper him and not harm him, to give him a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11). 

Then a client at the shipyard gave his new company an opportunity. This person has been his client since – a testament to Francis’ dedication to quality work. 

Francis sharing his story of change at Lighthouse Evangelism.

“It was indeed a testimony of God’s love and grace,” Francis said in wonder.

Love, acceptance, security and worth  

God became Francis’ bulwark and strength as he deepened his walk with Him.   

He also had a special surprise for Francis.  

In August 2007, Francis met the woman who would become his wife.

Jolene has an Honours degree in Marketing and Francis was acutely aware that he only had a primary school education. “Jolene has a degree and I also have a degree – a fever of 40 degrees,” he deadpanned.

If love stories start with their eyes meeting and connecting across a crowded room, that would have pretty much summed up their first encounter.

At least Jolene had eyes only for him that day. And that would be a story for another day. 

Through their years together, the couple remains focused on bringing up their four children in a safe home filled with love and acceptance.

“After experiencing God’s fatherly love, I want to give this to my family,” said Francis. The children are now 5, 6, 10 and 12. 

“We teach them morals and values. To us, character building is more critical than academic achievements, even though the latter is important,” said Francis.

The How family volunteering with the Boys Brigade. “We help our kids look beyond their own interests and give back to society by volunteering as a family. It is more blessed to give than to receive,” said Francis.

“We tell them daily that we love them and praise them when they give suggestions, so they know we value them.

Jovelyn, now 5, praying for her parents after church one day.

“I spent my young life looking for love, acceptance, security and worth. After experiencing God’s fatherly love, I want to give this to my family.”

Still a wanted man

Since 2020, Francis has been serving in the Prison Fellowship Singapore and halfway houses. He points his brothers to his loving Father God who is the true miracle worker in breaking the bondage he was powerless to break. 

Francis speaking at House of Anatole, an inter-denominational Christian ministry supported by Singapore churches and donors as help drug addicts and ex-offenders into becoming overcomers.

 As a staunch advocate of the anti-drug and anti-gang programmes organised by the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) and the Secret Societies Branch (SSB), Francis has given talks to youths, counsellors, teachers, volunteers and those sent to the Reformative Training Centre.

In November 2024, he went to Pulau Ubin to speak with youths in the Singapore Police Force’s annual Camp ACE (All Can Escape). The programme provides youth-at-risk for secret society involvement with a supportive environment to reflect, learn and grow.

Francis shares his experience with the young, youths-at-risk and former drug addicts in the battle to stay drug-free and out of gangs.

In all these engagements, Francis has been allowed to say one line about his faith because to him, his transformation is a direct result of God’s love. 

“More than 30 years ago, CNB and SSB also wanted me – to put me behind bars. Now, they want me to be their advocate. 

“Only God can make such a miracle happen.”

If you would like to know more about Jesus, click here to find a church near you.

Click here to join our Telegram family for more stories like Francis’.

RELATED STORIES:

She gave birth while in prison for drugs. Today, she helps others overcome their addiction

This hardened drug dealer broke when his baby was born behind bars

In and out of prison five times, it took a four-year-old to turn his life around