IPOH, June 28 (Sin Chew Daily) — Jisham Jamu was a young policeman when he first met Issac Chin at the police station more than 20 years ago.

Chin joined the gangsters while he was still in primary school and was involved in gang fights. He ended up at police station many times.

Jisham knew that Chin had come from a poor family and was with a bad company but he was not that bad after all.

Occasionally, Jisham would give the boy a few ringgit, and "lecture" him before releasing him from the police station.

The lecture was mainly in Malay language with some Cantonese and Hakka, mainly to encourage Chin to study hard. Jisham told his colleague Chin was not really a bad boy.

Chin only managed to understand the message when his command of the Malay language improved years later.

As he grew up, Chin began to seek advice from Jisham whenever he encountered problems.

Initially it was work-related matters when he asked Jisham the proper way of doing things. Later he also confided in Jisham that his girl friend's family looked down on him.

Chin was a young man with a hot temper. Whenever he and his wife were in a dispute with other people, he would grab his knife and went round Menglembu. And Jisham and his fellow policemen would start tracking Chin down and advised him: "Don't do foolish things. If you kill someone, you are not going to live either. What will happen to your daughter?"

Jisham took away Chin's knife before taking him back to the police station. 

Jisham knew Chin very well. He did not stop at seizing the knife from Chin, but also gave him a call every day to check on him.

"Where are you now? What are you doing?"

Those were the routine questions Jisham would ask.

He did not forget to remind Chin: "Don't you ever think I know nothing about what you are going to do!"

Chin was unable to proceed further under Jisham's close watch.

Three months later, Chin finally let go of his past by buying a car and starting to offer air-condition repair services during the day, and selling at a night market in the evening.

Jisham's routine check on Chin only stopped after he saw Chin selling at the night market.

Chin, raised by his grandparents while his mother was working in Singapore, started as an apprentice with an air-condition shop at the age of 13 and became a contractor at the age of 21.

JIsham said Chin even visited his house to consult him over his girlfriend.

"I have many Chinese friends, but only Issac I know what type of girls he likes" he said.

Chin also brought along his girlfriend to meet Jisham for the latter's approval.

From a street fighter to owning an electrical shop, Jisham's advice for Chin has also changed over the years.

It used to be telling him to study hard to improve his life but when Chin became a businessman, he started to offer him some business-related advice.

Chin not only owns an electrical shop now but also contributes positively to the community. He helps many poor families by charging only RM1 to service their air-conditioners and even repair their roofs.

Chin grew up in Menglembu while Jisham was based at the Menglembu police station.

When Chin opened an electrical shop in Simpang Pulai, Jisham was also transferred to Simpang Pulai police station.

"Jisham is my first Malay friend, my best Malay friend actually!" said Chin.