INITIALLY selling home-baked cakes, Nurul Asyiqin Mohamad Ramli now runs a successful cookie business thanks to a moment of inspiration that reshaped her entrepreneurial journey.
Seven years ago, while accompanying her mother to collect an order of pineapple tarts from her friend in Sabak Bernam, Selangor, she overheard something that changed the course of her life.
Her mother’s friend, proprietor of a small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) business, revealed sales hitting RM1.8mil in just four months.
“Imagine earning that much just from selling pineapple tarts and biskut makmur?,” Nurul Asyiqin remarked.
“Even at RM1.8mil, down from RM2mil the previous year, it made me wonder why I wasn’t focusing on cookies instead.”
At the time, Nurul Asyiqin was relying on personal contacts and promotion on Instagram to sell her cakes but returns were modest.
“Weekly sales were just RM200 and half went to my salary, with the rest back into the business,” she told Bernama.
So she made the bold decision to pivot to cookies.
The transition was not easy, as she had to rebuild almost from the ground up on limited capital and equipment.
She later applied for financial assistance from the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council (MAIWP).
“I only needed to show my SSM (Companies Commission of Malaysia) registration, proof of operating for six months and photos of the business.
“About two weeks later, I was called in for an interview,” she said.
The RM3,000 provided enabled her to purchase a suitable oven – a crucial step forward.
She started selling cookies in late 2019 at RM25 per jar, working hard to build up her brand, Cocokins, through agents.
However, progress was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, with sales very low during the first movement control order (MCO) in 2020.
The situation worsened in 2021 just weeks before Hari Raya Aidilfitri, when interstate travel restrictions led to a sharp drop in demand.
More than 2,000 jars of cookies were returned unsold. With limited experience in online marketing, Nurul Asyiqin donated the cookies rather than let them go to waste.
Refusing to give up, she attended entrepreneurship courses, workshops and seminars, and improved her product promotion.
In 2022, she received RM10,000 in zakat assistance via an MAIWP-SME Corp Malaysia collaboration.
“The business has improved from earning just three figures to five figures now,” she said, adding that she produces 500 to 700 jars of cookies per month.
The chocolate chip, dark chocolate, red velvet and pistachio flavours as well as seasonal pineapple tarts are popular.
Nurul Asyiqin said festive season sales could hit RM100,000 while off-peak months generated tens of thousands.
Wanting to stand out in a competitive market, she introduced the more affordable cookies in a capsule priced at RM7.
The idea emerged from observing consumer habits.
“Sometimes people just want a small portion.
“A jar can cost around RM30 and for that price you can buy a meal.
“Children, especially, don’t eat much.”
The capsule concept has been successful, and is even popular as a wedding favour, with orders coming from states such as Johor and Terengganu.
Petrol stations, hospitals, cafes and private agencies promote her products.
Cocokins also provides an income opportunity to single parents as agents.
Nurul Asyiqin’s success has been shaped by her journey, studying mechanical engineering at Sekolah Menengah Teknik Shah Alam, pursuing a Diploma in Culinary Arts at Food Institute Malaysia then living in the US for a year in 2011.
Her business reached new heights when she emerged champion of “Projek Bangkit”, a 2025 entrepreneurship reality programme by MAIWP in collaboration with TV AlHijrah.
The programme featured 21 participants and offered a RM50,000 grant, RM1mil in promotional sponsorship as well as business mentorship.
It didn’t just help with funding, but helped Cocokins reach new markets beyond Kuala Lumpur.
