GEORGE TOWN: Eight years ago, a horrific workplace accident nearly ended her career.
Pastry chef P’ng Jia Qi was working at an international restaurant chain in Singapore when her left arm was badly mangled in an industrial mixer.
The incident left her with limited mobility, with only three fingers functioning normally.
Although she has mostly recovered, her left arm remains stiff and numb most of the time, restricting some movements.
Despite the permanent injury, P’ng refused to let it stop her from baking.
Earlier this month, the 31-year-old clinched second place in the artistic sculpture category at the Seoul Food and Hotel Culinary Challenge 2026 in South Korea, beating more experienced pastry chefs from China, Taiwan and South Korea.
“I never thought I would have come this far after the accident. Everything has started falling into place,” said P’ng.
Today, she runs her own bakery, My Bakebay, in Old Klang Road, Kuala Lumpur, with a team comprising a head chef and three staff members, while her husband helps manage customer service.
Specialising in custom-made fondant sculpted cakes, the mother of two has seen her creations grow increasingly popular.
“My cakes start from RM99. The most expensive one costs RM3,800 – a highly detailed Warhammer-themed birthday cake ordered by a father for his son,” she said.
Recalling the accident in 2018, P’ng said her arm was caught while she was trying to remove dough from an industrial mixer.
“It was supposed to stop, but it suddenly restarted and injured my arm. It took me many months to recover,” she said.
After returning to Malaysia in 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic brought the country to a standstill.
“Being stuck at home, I learnt to make burnt cheesecakes and sold them online or gave them to friends. That was how everything started,” she said.
After restrictions were lifted, a friend invited her to join a bakery studio in Kuala Lumpur.
“I was a one-woman show for quite some time, but as business improved, I expanded.”
Although she studied to become a chemist, P’ng said her heart was always in pastry.
“I actually studied to become a chemist, but the calling to be a pastry chef was much stronger because it is something I truly enjoy doing.”
Looking ahead, P’ng hopes to expand her business beyond the Klang Valley.
“My dream is to open a branch in Penang so that I can be closer to my family,” she said.
