20 April 2019 by Lim Lee Sah –
If you meet David Hii Tau Su for the first time, you will probably guess his past allegiance to a gang due to his arm tattoos. He has left the darkness and is now in the light because he has acknowledged the Saviour as his big Boss! What miracles have caused him to follow Jesus?
David was born and grew up in Sibu, Sarawak. He is the eldest among 5 siblings. Since his youth, he has loved boxing. When he was 12 years old, he sold snacks at the cockfighting arena. His dream was to become a gang leader. He stopped schooling at the age of 13 as he had no interest in studies.
He led a group of gangsters and was often involved in fighting and hurting people. Due to this, going in and out of jail became part of his routine. Consequently, his relationship with the family members deteriorated.
When he was 18, he started his first business in cockfighting. Earning a substantial income, he inflatable water park moved out from his parents’ house to be on his own. He loved luxurious cars, accessories, and women. Every night, he was at the night club. At the age of 24, he got married and had a daughter later.
In 1995, David often met other gang leaders in Kuala Lumpur and consumed ecstasy pills which had just been introduced to West Malaysia. He was well-known for his generosity of giving those pills to his friends. 3 years later, he opened a disco called Macarena in Sibu. It became very popular and David was known as Macasoon. Every day, he would take ecstasy pills to keep himself happy. During festive seasons, he loved to hang out with more than 100 buddies to drink alcohol together, while being surrounded by bargirls throughout the night. His lifestyle caused his marriage to break down. In 2010, he divorced his wife.
2 years later, he expanded his business by opening a 24-hour slot machine centre. One day, his father went to see him there. During a money-related argument, he punched and kicked his father.
In December 2013, David left Sibu with his daughter and they settled down in Lutong, Miri. One day while supervising his house which was under renovation, he fell from the second floor. During the fall, he hit the railings on the first floor before landing on the ground. This fractured his spine and caused his temporary short-term memory loss. He was very stubborn and refused to go to the hospital. One month later, he finally relented and went for a check-up. He was admitted to the hospital during Chinese New Year. The excruciating pain turned him into a very hot-tempered man and he took it out on his daughter.
He also refused to listen to the doctor’s advice and drove to the logging camp. As the road was uneven, this caused further damage to his nerves. The pain was so unbearable that he lost control of the vehicle. The injury was getting worse and finally, he was admitted to the hospital in Kuala Lumpur. The pain was sharp like scissors cutting through the flesh and it would last between 8 and 10 hours. He was so much in pain that he would kneel down and ask the lord of heaven to spare him. He also prayed to different gods and even visited the temple at Batu Caves to seek healing but to no avail.
In 2015, he went back to Sibu and stayed in a hotel next to the fire brigade. It was the rainy season. At times, he was so angry with the physical pain that he ran out of the room and soaked in the rain. He felt much relief as the raindrops fell on his body. As a result, he would constantly go in the rain. Passersby thought he was out of his mind. However, a particular fireman noticed David
“He told me, ‘God could heal you,’ I asked him, “Who is God?” he pointed his finger at the sky. I was slightly doubtful as I looked up at the sky,”
One night, the electricity was cut off. David opened the hotel room windows and cried loudly, “Oh God, if it is Your desire, save me. Please don’t torture me anymore! “
He traveled back to Miri after the Chinese New Year. Each day, he would go to the nearby market to have his char kuey teow. The stall owner was an elderly lady who believed in Jesus. She noticed David wore a tight garment around his waistline. She held his hands gently and told him, “God could heal you.”
The continuous severe pain caused him to think of suicide. One day, he set aside a bottle of bleach. After taking 3 sleeping pills, he prayed, “Oh God, I am such a wicked man, You must take my life !” He started to make a list of his past sins. Gradually, he fell asleep due to the effects of the sleeping pills. 2 days later, he was awakened by the doorbell. He opened the door and found his sister Fiona standing there. He was very furious as he realized that he hadn’t drunk the bleach and was still alive. So he lost his temper over his sister.
His mother, who was the first born-again Christian in the family, visited him with another sister in Christ. The latter asked him if he would accept the Lord Jesus as his personal Savior. He made the decision on his birthday. He started attending church with the only objective of getting healed. However, there was no repentance in his heart. He was still full of bitterness due to the loss of many of his businesses. As he frequently drove to church, his body pain worsened. When the wind was blowing on him, it was like needles piercing his body and the pain persisted. One day, he was so much in pain that he lost his temper. He went to his sister’s restaurant and beat her up. Unfortunately, he slipped, fell and broke his spine again.
His brother was very furious and reported to the police to arrest him. Seeing David’s injury, the police sent him to the hospital for X-ray. Due to his condition, he should be admitted to the hospital but he refused. He felt remorse and insisted to be sent to lockup. He was in a cell with 7, 8 other detainees. He began to lose his temper due to noise. Therefore, the police transferred him to the corridor. That night, as he was laying the blanket on the floor to rest, he heard God’s voice very clearly, “Pray for your enemies and forgive them.” Initially, he refused and struggled a lot. Finally, he prayed for his siblings while sobbing and gradually fell asleep.
At dawn, he woke up to go to the toilet. He suddenly realized that his body pain had disappeared. Immediately, he knelt down and swore to God that he would never return to his old life under any circumstance.
The following day, the court concluded that it was a family problem and only a fine would be issued to David. However, David insisted to be jailed for 2 months instead, as he felt deep remorse for his aggressive behaviour towards his sister. In the jail, other convicts who recognized him as a gang leader wanted to give him favour but he declined.
During this time, he had a desire to read the Bible. One day, he found a very old Bible in the library. As he touched it he felt a sense of peace. He flipped through the pages and found Proverbs 4: 14-15 (NKJV) “Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil. Avoid it, do not travel on it; Turn away from it and pass on.” He knew it was a reminder from the Lord. During the 60 days in jail, he dreamed of different enemies each day. Tears would roll down his cheek as he prayed and forgave his enemies. The more he prayed, the more his body, mind and soul were relieved.
60 days later, David left the jail with the Bible in his hand. His mother and pastor picked him with great joy. He told his mother that he would like to apologize to Fiona immediately but her mother was worried that he was going to take revenge. So she gave excuses to prevent him from visiting the sister.
Knowing that his family did not believe he had sincerely repented, David felt deeply sad. He went home and listened to the Word of God daily. He also started copying verses from the Bible. 2 weeks later, his pastor accompanied him to visit the sister and ask for forgiveness. Both David and his sister cried and hugged. They were reconciled.
“In the past when I chose to do the wrong things, I was ready to pay the price. Now that I’ve chosen to do the right things, I want to give my best.”
David felt a tremendous relief and later went to see the doctor for a follow-up. The X-ray showed that his spine had fully recovered. He told the doctor that it was a miracle from God and the doctor was also happy for him.
The following 6 months, he experienced a lot of temptations as many people did not believe that he had genuinely changed. However, he stood firm and continued praying that he would never be involved in gangsterism again. His brother saw the changes in him and gave him a van for him to serve full-time in ministries.
Since, David has been serving in Kenosis Sarawak Drug Rehabilitation Centre and PIBAKIS, a centre for special children in Miri. He also reached out to gangsters who had given up hope. He shared the gospel with them, took them as mentees and helped them to be reunited with their families.
“ Previously, I used my hands to attack people in the name of self defense. By the grace of God, I received salvation from Him. Now, my hands are to hold the Bible and help those who are in need. ”
David has been going to churches to share his testimony as well. With a team, he also organizes campaigns against gambling and drugs. He advises the youth not to pursue self-indulgence at the expense of their health and family.
“ When I encountered Jesus, not only was I healed but also I repented. There is no turning back to my former extravagant lifestyle. I honestly believe that a sincere repented person will draw a tremendous crowd to Jesus Christ, who is omnipotent and omnipresent. Those who are in darkness will see the True Light of Life and testify of His Power and Might. Romans 1:16 (NKJV) ‘For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.’”
(Photo courtesy of David Hii)
Note: This article was translated by Goh Hwee Leng, Elena Chai and Lim Lee Sah from the original article. The Chinese version of this testimony is available at
奇迹在监狱发生，悔改从读经开始——许道顺
|Share The Good News|
Praise God for this dear Brother!
Awesome and touching testimony of Bro David !