Pastor Moses Tan is a former street fighter, heroin addict and drug pusher. Now, after more than 40 years of being drug-free and faithful in ministry, the 70-year-old is sharing his story as he reaches the sunset years of his earthly life.
Born into abject poverty in a neighbourhood of gangsters and gamblers in Penang, Moses Tan grew up quickly.
As a young boy, he observed how schoolteachers treated children from upper-class families with favour, while those from poorer backgrounds, like him, were sidelined and ignored. It fueled a burning anger and deep bitterness within him.
“I was academically bright, but because I was so angry, I acted out. If you don’t bully others, they’ll bully you — that’s what I told myself. My reputation spread like wildfire, mainly because I never fought in a gentlemanly way,” he said.
After Form 5, he moved to Kuala Lumpur in search of a better life. He was determined to become rich, believing that money would bring happiness.
With a good head on his shoulders, he secured a well-paying job with an electrical wholesale business. Things were going well until his phone rang.
“One of my friends from the ‘brotherhood’ — a group of us who grew up fighting together — called me from Melaka. He’d gotten involved in a gang and wanted to get out, but was afraid of the consequences,” Moses said.
Fearless by nature and loyal to a fault, Moses went to Melaka and brazenly brought his friend back to Kuala Lumpur. It was an act of good intentions, but it ultimately led to one of the darkest seasons in his life.
Sinking into the abyss of addiction
“My friend introduced me to heroin, and soon I was hooked. But I had money, so I was a ‘high-class addict,’ able to fully function because I could get my fix whenever I wanted,” he shared. When the money finally ran dry two years later, everything went south.
From a drug user, Moses became a drug pusher to feed his habit. It broke his mother’s heart.
His brother sold a car to enrol him in a rehabilitation centre run by a gang leader who used opium, Chinese herbs, and good food to ‘normalise’ addicts. He liked Moses because the young man was good with his fists, and soon put him to work as a henchman.
After a few months, Moses left the centre and immediately relapsed.
“Many people say, ‘Just give it up!’ but it’s so, so difficult. After getting out, I had run-ins with the police and ended up in lockup several times,” he remembered.
In 1978, Moses was caught with a small amount of heroin in his possession and given a choice between a fine or three months in jail. Desperate to get clean, he opted for jail time.
“Although there was temptation in prison, I managed to stay off drugs. But the day I was released, I went to the drug pusher, not even my mother, who loved me,” he recounted sadly.
His elder sister, a committed Christian, then told him directly, “Only Jesus can heal you and set you free.” When she informed him of Grace Home, a Christian rehab centre in Butterworth run by Pastor John Khoo, he threatened to kill her with an axe in his hand.
One day, as he walked down a familiar street in search of his next fix, he realised he must be demon-possessed, as even stray dogs cowered and fled when he passed by. A group of young children started taunting him, but he was too weak to fight back.
“The Holy Spirit then said, ‘Why are you living like this? Now, even children mock you.’ I went to my sister and told her to enrol me, but my goal was just to get clean, make a lot of money and earn everyone’s respect again,” he admitted.
A choice that changed his life
However, there was no vacancy at Grace Home. While waiting, Moses was offered a lucrative job as a mule, smuggling drugs to Amsterdam. He agreed to the task, but as logistics were being sorted, Grace Home called – a spot had opened up.
Moses had to make a choice. By God’s grace, he chose Grace Home.
There, he was introduced to the Gospel. After accepting Christ and encountering the love of God, he knew real transformation had taken place when he, infamous for his fighting abilities and violent streak, could not bring himself to kill a rat he found in the bathroom.
Several months later, Moses was at a church camp reading Our Daily Bread (a daily devotion) when these words jumped out at him: fisher of men. He knew it was for him. As he wrestled over the next two days, each day’s devotion contained a word in season just for him.
Within a few months, he was teaching Sunday School and preaching at a government-run drug rehab centre. Eventually, Moses became the first ex-drug addict to enter the Malaysia Bible Seminary.
Academic study was an uphill task for someone who had spent most of his life on the streets. “On every page, there were at least 20 words I did not know. The dictionary was my best friend,” he said with a grin.
The Lord sustained him, and he passed all his subjects, even scoring distinctions. He now holds a Diploma of Theology, a Diploma of Pastoral Theology, and a Bachelor of Ministry.
Casting his net as a fisher of men
On 22 June 1985, Moses married his beloved wife, Ann, whom he met at his home church in Butterworth. This year, they will celebrate 40 years of marriage and have two daughters, Michelle and Rachel.
Since saying yes to God, Pastor Moses has seen God’s hand at work through his life. He has preached in the jungles of Sarawak, where a whole longhouse came to faith—“even the bomoh!”
For many years, he visited Kajang Prison regularly and witnessed salvations during every visit. Once, 18 inmates gave their lives to Jesus Christ on the same day.
God has opened doors for Pastor Moses to speak in open fields, majestic cathedrals, and house churches across Asia and Europe. Wherever he goes, his message is the same: Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life.
In 1990, Pastor Moses and his wife established Cross Power Tabernacle in Subang Jaya. From four members, the church grew into six congregations across the city, serving the marginalised, especially undocumented and stateless communities.
“Just before COVID-19 hit, the Lord impressed upon us to release these congregations to be led by pastors we had raised up from their own communities. It was timely, because once the pandemic came, we were cut off,” he said.
Today, he leads a congregation made up mostly of Malaysians, whom he loves dearly and “would not trade for anything in the world.”
A life soaked in God’s grace
Pastor Moses has been clean since 1979. How has he made it this far? He is quick to answer: God and the people God has used in his life, including Ann, his family, and the community of believers.
He lists five simple keys for those seeking a life of victory in Christ:
- Stay reliant on the Lord. Love the Word of God. It is life-giving.
- Rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. Worship the Lord every day.
- As long as you remain in the will of God, you will not burn out. But it has to be His will, not your will (John 4).
- Always be grateful to God and the people He uses.
- Be determined not to give up. Decide to push through, and then ask God to help you.
“My entire life is God’s grace. I could have gone to the gallows. I have baptised inmates the day before they were hanged. God reminds me often that it could have been me, so that I will be grateful and stay in His love,” he reflects.
As he steps into the last leg of his earthly adventure, he holds onto Mark 9:23: If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.
With 70 years behind him and eternity ahead, Pastor Moses hopes to be remembered on earth simply as a man who loved the Lord, faithfully served Him, and had a grateful heart.
“At the end of the day, however, it is and will always be about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Gospel cannot be stopped. No matter what you do, it cannot be stopped.”
