His birth parents knew something was "wrong" with him, he said, but did not know how to handle him, and doctors at the time could not diagnose him.
As he grew up, he started having problems with mobility, coordination and speech, and people around him thought he had polio, a highly infectious viral disease that can cause paralysis.
It was only years later at the age of 22 that he was correctly diagnosed with cerebral palsy, a disability that has similar physical impairments.
Despite all this, Mr Pek, 60, did not let his disability stop him from becoming assistant vice-president at Deutsche Bank and vice-president of HWA (formerly known as Handicaps Welfare Association).
He was one of the awardees in the "achievement" category of the Goh Chok Tong Enable Awards, which recognises people with disabilities who have made significant achievements in their own fields.
The other category of "promise" encourages people with disabilities who have shown promise to pursue greater heights.
The sixth edition of the awards was held on Dec 3 on the International Day of People with Disabilities.
The effort by the Goh Chok Tong Enable Fund, a community fund administered by SG Enable and supported by Mediacorp, honoured the achievements of 13 people with disabilities at Marina Bay Sands Singapore.
Denne historien er fra December 04, 2024-utgaven av The Straits Times.
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Denne historien er fra December 04, 2024-utgaven av The Straits Times.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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AGE-OLD CRAFT OF WEAVING CARPETS AT RISK
In southern Morocco, women are the guardians of the age-old craft of carpet weaving, an intricate art form that often leaves them with meagre earnings.
Zendaya and Tom Holland engaged, says US media
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Johnny Depp alerts fans to online scammers posing as him
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STRENGTH BAND-AID
Research suggests that resistance bands are as effective as weights at building strength
