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.
This story is from the December 04, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the December 04, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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