For two weeks, he gave producers Abel Khoo and Eileen Chew raw, unfiltered access to his daily life as he grappled with an unfamiliar world, avoiding ruinous temptations, and heavy regrets.
For Eileen, a standout moment was when he choked up reading out a letter from his estranged son. Also memorable was his 88-year-old mother, who’d turned him in to authorities the first time, and still stuck by him all his years in prison.
In a lighter moment at the airport (for Poh Lim’s first trip in 30 years), Abel recalls: “He was like a child in another world! It was the first time he’d smiled so much in all the shoots.”
On or off camera, he’s just as open, as candid. He seems to want to inspire other ex-offenders with hope on this tough road. Says Eileen: “I thought that life after prison would be easier. But ex-inmates may be grappling with a lot – loss, regrets, feeling out of place.
“It takes a lot for them to stay clean outside.”
Yvonne Lim
Deputy Chief Editor (CNA Insider)
