Connecting Seniors
Steve Khouw · 36 min
Fleeing persecution in Indonesia as a child, Steve Khouw rebuilt his life in Australia through grit, advocacy, and an unshakeable belief in freedom — and now dedicates himself to protecting those same rights for other migrants and vulnerable men.
Steve Khouw was 9 years old when military tanks surrounded his house in Indonesia. His parents, who had been quietly helping vulnerable people in their community, were accused of communist sympathies during the anti-communist purges of the 1960s. When soldiers shot the family's German Shepherd, Steve's father knew it was time to leave. They fled to Singapore, then Australia, arriving with almost nothing.
His father was a lawyer in Indonesia but could only get one year of his Australian law degree accredited, so he worked multiple jobs instead: clerk, mill worker, envelope-sticker. Steve's mother, who spoke no English, sewed board shorts for pennies each. The children stayed up until 1 or 2 AM helping stick envelope labels so the family could survive. At school, Steve faced racism, including classmates mocking his surname Koh. But he learned early that standing your ground works. Nine out of ten people back down when you refuse to accept being diminished.
Steve has reinvented himself repeatedly: mining engineer, marketer, manufacturer, green building designer. Each shift taught him something different and made him broader. Today he works in advocacy, focused on two injustices that matter to him: the exploitation of migrant food delivery riders, and male suicide prevention in Australia. Six of the eight Australians who take their own lives each day are men. He encounters this statistic directly through his frontline work, sometimes seeing two or three men dead each month. Steve sees himself as indebted to Australia for the freedom and opportunities his family was denied in Indonesia, and he channels that gratitude into protecting those same rights for others.
⚠️ Content advisory: this episode discusses suicide & self-harm prevention, which some listeners may find distressing.
If you need support, you're not alone. Help is available: • Lifeline (24/7 crisis support): 13 11 14 · lifeline.org.au
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