BUKIT MERTAJAM – Looking at his active involvement in religious outreach and charity work today, it is hard to imagine that Ooi Chooi Beng, 41, was once involved in secret societies, loan shark activities, entertainment centres and various criminal activities.
Chooi Beng, better known as Ben, also admitted that he once harboured deep hatred towards Islam and Malays since childhood due to being bullied.
“I was bullied in primary school. In my mind, Malays were Muslims, so I began to hate Islam. On top of that, Western films often portrayed Muslims as terrorists, which made my hatred even stronger,” he said when met at his office here recently.
Born and raised in Chai Leng Park, Butterworth in a Buddhist family, Ben said his bullying experience led him to join a secret society as early as 13 years old for protection.
From a teenager seeking security, he eventually rose to become a local gang leader with more than 100 followers.
By his early 20s, his life was surrounded by money, influence and luxury gained through loan shark activities, entertainment centres and other criminal dealings.
However, behind that lavish lifestyle, Allah SWT opened the door of guidance through Ariani, 49, who is now his wife and they have been blessed with three children.
Ben said his wife, who is originally from Indonesia, often invited him to learn about Islam, but he consistently rejected it with various arguments.
At that time, my heart was completely closed off,” he said.
He said everything changed after he followed Ariani back to Indonesia, where her family treated him with kindness and love despite their religious differences.
What impacted him most was when Ariani’s father invited him to learn how to perform ablution and follow the movements of prayer without any pressure.
“I had never prostrated to anyone in my life. That time, I just followed her father’s movements. When my forehead touched the ground, suddenly my whole body felt different. I got goosebumps and my heart felt extremely calm.
“I had many problems then – debts, business matters and all sorts of things weighing on my mind. But at that moment, everything disappeared. It felt as if all burdens were lifted. I don’t know how to describe it. It was very peaceful,” he said.
Although the experience left a deep impact, his journey towards Islam was not easy.
It took him more than a decade before he finally declared the shahada, as he was still burdened by various questions and misunderstandings about Islam.
Finally, in 2017, Ben embraced Islam by declaring the shahada after receiving guidance from several preachers and friends.
After his conversion, he faced many challenges, including losing his income, selling his house and car and struggling financially.
“My wife encouraged me to wake up for tahajjud prayer and pray to Allah SWT. The next morning, I received a job offer that allowed me to settle urgent debts.
“From that moment, I became truly convinced that sustenance comes from Allah SWT and my faith in Islam grew even stronger,” he said.
Over nearly a decade in dakwah work, Ben, Penang Islamic Welfare and Development Organisation founder has helped more than 100 non-Muslims declare the shahada.
For Ben, every time he sees someone receive guidance, he is reminded of his first moment of prostration in a simple home in Indonesia.
“That is what keeps me grateful until today. Grateful that I was guided to Islam and became a better person. Even more meaningful, my wife and I performed Umrah in November 2018,” he said.
He added that the acceptance of his family, especially his parents, towards his decision to embrace Islam was also an invaluable blessing from Allah SWT.
“My parents were very positive. My siblings as well. They never ‘disowned’ me and still treated me well even though they knew I had converted to Islam.
“In fact, my mother is very careful about food. She knows I can no longer eat what I used to eat before,” he said.