MERSING: With one steady hand, Zulhairie Muda scoops shaved ice into plastic cups as customers queue at his stall at the Rahmah Ramadan Bazaar in Taman Wawasan here.
Calm and focused, Zulhairie, 37, moves swiftly, a quiet testament to resilience few would immediately notice.
Fifteen years ago, a motorcycle accident severed the nerves in his right arm, changing his life overnight.
From being physically able, he suddenly found himself classified as a person with disabilities (OKU), forced to rely entirely on his left hand.
“I felt ashamed to face people. I stayed at home for almost two years because I couldn’t accept what had happened,” he said.
The isolation was painful, but a simple question eventually shifted his mindset: how long could he remain like that?
Determined to rebuild his life, Zulhairie ventured into selling cendol seven years ago, starting small with just two jars and daily earnings of about RM15, barely enough to cover costs.
A monthly RM450 assistance from the Social Welfare Department (JKM) helped him slowly expand the business.
Today, together with his wife, Nurul Effi Azira Mohd Saleh, and with the help of a worker, he sells about 25 jars of cendol a day from his stall in Kampung Seri Lalang.
He offers various flavours, including glutinous rice, durian, red beans and mango, using palm-based coconut milk, which he says is longer-lasting and more economical.
Rising prices of key ingredients, especially palm sugar and coconut milk, which increased from about RM10.50 to RM15 this year, remain his biggest challenge.
Yet, he insists on maintaining a ‘Rahmah’ price of RM5 per pack for plain cendol, compared to the market rate of around RM7, Bernama reported.
“I want everyone to be able to enjoy cendol, especially during Ramadan,” he said, adding that he also provides QR code payment options to make transactions easier.
Starting from the lowest point in his life taught him perseverance. Zulhairie now hopes to open a permanent shop and expand his business in the future, but more importantly, he hopes his journey will inspire others, especially those living with disabilities, to not give up.
