MERSING: There’s a heartbreaking pain no mother should ever experience – the loss of a child, especially one who was her pillar of strength and future hope.
This is the painful reality that Rosnita Wahab, 45, a keropok lekor (fish cracker) entrepreneur in Kampung Sawah Dato’ here, faces every day since the death of her son, Muhammad Bakrishah Nor Hamizi, fondly known as Damak, in a tragic road accident last year.
Damak’s passing not only left a void in the family but also took away the shared dream they had built together, to grow their family-run snack business.
Despite being only 18, Damak had shown a strong interest in business from a young age. He was determined to help his mother manage the enterprise, learning its operations and even becoming a source of ideas and guidance within the family as early as 15.
One of his most significant contributions was suggesting that they apply for Agrobank’s Micro Entrepreneur Financing, which offers funding of up to RM100,000 to support business expansion.
“Damak was the one who suggested applying for the financing. He was with me during the application,” Rosnita said, recalling how her son had planned to purchase machinery to produce keropok keping so they would no longer depend on supplies from Terengganu. Bottles for packaging their dipping sauce had also already been prepared.
He had even intended to attend courses to improve his skills and learn the techniques needed to produce keropok keping with the same quality and texture as those from Terengganu, with the aim of becoming fully self-reliant.
However, fate intervened. Damak did not live to see his plans realised. In a bittersweet turn, the RM40,000 financing was approved several months after his passing.
“The financing was approved… but he didn’t get to see it. Everything he planned is slowly becoming a reality… but he is no longer here,” Rosnita said, adding that the financing tenure extends up to seven years.
Driven by the spirit her son left behind, Rosnita has continued the business with renewed determination. Some of Damak’s plans are now taking shape, including efforts to acquire machinery for production and to produce their own dipping sauce.
Earlier this year, the family also opened a new branch in Kampung Seri Lalang Laut, another milestone that had been part of Damak’s vision to expand the business
“This is all for him. He wanted to grow the business… I’m just continuing what he started,” Rosnita said, adding that the idea of placing Damak’s image on the business signboard also came from him, as part of strengthening their brand identity.
Rosnita began the business with her husband, Nor Hamizi Abdul Aziz, 50, using their own savings of RM17,000 to purchase machinery, fish and freezers after he stopped working due to a slipped disc about eight years ago.
“We began small, using about 10 kilogrammes of fish a day. As we gained regular customers and orders, we gradually increased production,” she said.
Today, the business generates about RM1,000 daily, rising to as much as RM6,000 during festive periods, with average monthly earnings reaching around RM20,000.
Their products are now marketed beyond Mersing, including to Kluang, Batu Pahat and Johor Bahru, through bulk orders and delivery services
Meanwhile, Agrobank president and group chief executive officer Datuk Tengku Ahmad Badli Shah Raja Hussin said the bank continues to offer accessible financing facilities tailored to the needs of micro-entrepreneurs, including small-scale financing, working capital and business expansion support
He said Agrobank places strong emphasis on strengthening the local economy by empowering entrepreneurship at the community level, particularly among low-income groups, enabling them to increase their income and improve their standard of living.
The bank also plans to expand access to more flexible and easily accessible micro and small-scale financing this year, to help entrepreneurs secure start-up or working capital to grow their businesses.
“We hope more small entrepreneurs will strengthen their financial management, improve productivity and leverage technology and digitalisation to expand their markets,” he said.
He added that Agrobank encourages entrepreneurs to continuously enhance their knowledge, explore new opportunities including digitalisation, and make full use of the support and facilities available. – BERNAMA
