When Mr Samli bin Sahwam was 2 years old, he developed polio, a disease that weakens his muscles and joints. After an accidental fall 7 years ago, he had to start wearing a prosthetic leg to support his movement.

Despite his difficult circumstances, the 62-year-old remains upbeat about life, and is happy to earn his own keep as a barber at AR Razak Malay Barber.

“With this prosthetic leg, I can’t stand for more than 10 hours,” Mr Samli said. “So naturally my parents discouraged me from being a barber as they were worried about my health.”

However, Mr Samli pressed on to pursue his goal – to make a living using his nimble fingers.

“You should never give up hope. Keep trying your best, because you’ll never know how far you can go,” he added.

Hear from Mr Samli in this clip.