AMONG the business community, particularly in Johor, Masitah Mohd Afandy is a well-known name.
Her success in building an air-conditioning business has made her an inspiration to many young entrepreneurs.
But her story took on an even greater significance after she lost her sight in a road accident more than three years ago.
Rather than allowing the tragedy to define her, the 35-year-old entrepreneur turned it into a catalyst to move forward, not only in business but also in community service.
She has since become a sought-after motivational speaker.
“Before the accident, I was obsessed with work.
Out of 365 days in a year, I probably spent 360 days in the office,” Johor-born Masitah, who is chief executive officer of NM Aircond Sdn Bhd, told Bernama.
The routine came to an abrupt end on March 21, 2023, when she was involved in a road accident that also claimed the life of one of her employees.
Masitah and three staff members were travelling home from Sabak Bernam, Selangor, after attending a programme at a community college when the car, driven by one of her employees, lost control and crashed into the rear of a lorry in the left lane of the North-South Expressway near Ayer Keroh, Melaka.
“The driver and the passenger seated behind escaped without injuries. I was sitting in the front passenger seat and suffered severe injuries, particularly to the right side of my body, including my face,” she said.
She added that the employee seated behind her became trapped in the wreckage and died in the hospital the following day from severe injuries.
“I was conscious the whole time and didn’t feel any pain except in my leg, even though my skull was fractured.
My right eye had collapsed into its socket,” she recalled.
She underwent multiple surgeries on her head and leg, during which surgeons inserted nine metal plates into her face as well as a metal implant in her right thigh.
Reflecting on the loss of her vision, Masitah said she sensed something was wrong the moment darkness engulfed her after the crash.
“I could hear everything, but I couldn’t see anything.
Later, my husband told me the doctors had informed him that my eyesight was deteriorating and that I might become blind.
“My response was, ‘Oh, okay’,” she said, adding that her calm reaction surprised her family members and friends, some of whom thought it was abnormal.
Accepting the ordeal as God’s will, Masitah said she never felt sadness or regret during the 24 days she spent in the hospital.
Instead, she found herself comforting her family and friends, who were devastated by what had happened.
She said her greatest challenge began after she was discharged from the hospital, when she had to adjust to life without sight while confined to a wheelchair.
“I had to adapt to my new world. At first, I constantly felt dizzy, almost like seasickness.
It felt as though I was floating and I couldn’t tell where the floor was.
When someone pushed my wheelchair, I couldn’t even tell whether they were pushing or pulling it,” she said.
She relied on a wheelchair for eight months due to her fractured thigh bone.
Four months later, she gradually learned to understand her surroundings and regain her independence.
From bathing and dressing to applying makeup, she had to relearn every daily routine from scratch.
“It wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t impossible.
Everything takes time and patience,” she said.
She began documenting her journey on social media as a source of motivation for herself and others, a decision that also established her as an inspirational figure.
However, Masitah said the moment that truly transformed her life came about eight months after the accident, when she performed the umrah pilgrimage in November 2023 and was able to walk and touch the Kaabah.
“I told my husband that I wanted to touch the Kaabah because I could no longer see it.
He was doubtful because I was still using a wheelchair and could barely walk.
“But by Allah’s grace, I was able to walk there and embrace the Kaabah,” she said emotionally, describing that day as the turning point in her life.
Today, Masitah has resumed leading a fulfilling life while continuing to helm the company she founded with her husband Nik Nazri Abidin in 2014.
The couple now plans to expand the business nationwide through a franchise model.
She said the accident had taught her the true meaning of happiness.
“When we see life’s trials as gifts from Allah, we become calmer and are able to appreciate, one by one, the wisdom behind every test Allah gives us.
“We need to keep an open heart, accept with sincerity and always have faith in Him.
If we see every trial as a burden, then it will always weigh heavily on our hearts,” she said. – BERNAMA
