Take Muhammad Nor Abdullah, 28, for instance. Born without arms, he still wears a huge smile on his face every day as he sets out to sell Malaysia’s favourite morning meal, nasi lemak.
If you commute around Kuala Lumpur by train, you’ll be sure to bump into his simple stall set-up near a 7-Eleven store in the vicinity of the Cheras LRT station.
Not one to wallow in self-pity because of his disability, Nor tells FMT how he came about selling nasi lemak.
“Previously I wasn’t working but I wanted to give the idea of selling nasi lemak a try so I opened this stall in July,” he says about the stall he named Nasi Lemak Bujang.
He says business was slow at first but that over time, there was an increase in customers which gave him the much-needed encouragement to continue.
Nor purchases the nasi lemak from a friend for RM1 a packet and sells it for RM1.50, making a modest profit of 50 sen a packet. On days where he sells 30 packets of nasi lemak, he earns a conservative profit of RM15.
He sets up stall at 7.45am and stays put until the very last packet disappears from sight. Recently however, business has been so brisk, his food is all sold out by 9am.
During FMT’s visit to Nor’s stall, a customer dropped by to purchase a few packets and Nor’s close friend Tengku Mahathir Tengku Mamat was there to help place the packets in a plastic bag.
“He has helped me a lot,” Nor says of his friend Mahathir. “He helped me by promoting my nasi lemak business using Facebook Live.
“I have also received orders from those wishing to donate nasi lemak to orphanages and Mahathir helps me out there too. On some days, he also helps set up the stall,” Nor says, clearly grateful for his friend’s kindness.
On days when his friend is tied-up with work, Nor handles the setting up of his stall on his own, carrying the tables and chair from his house using just his shoulders – no easy feat for someone in his condition.
“Usually, I sell about 30 packets a day but recently, I’ve had customers who give me cash up front to purchase larger quantities of nasi lemak to sell.
“In fact, today I brought out 170 packets and it’s all sold out. A lot of my customers came requesting for more,” smiles Nor.
According to Nor, he once received an order for 550 packets of nasi lemak.
“Due to my physical condition, it’s not easy for me to get a conventional job therefore I’m really grateful to have a business like this.
“Even so, I was really shocked when my friend told me that news of my nasi lemak business had gone viral.”
Thanks to the power of social media, Nor has been deluged with orders from eager customers.
“I’ve been flooded with messages requesting for my nasi lemak and I’m so grateful for the response and to everyone who is supporting my business.”
And what are his dreams for the future? The gutsy Nor tells FMT that he has his heart set on opening a restaurant someday selling mixed rice. Of course, nasi lemak will be on the menu too, he says, smiling.
“Only five packets left?”, asks a customer who snaps up everything on the table. Nor smiles and apologises profusely.
If you’re interested in supporting Nor’s ‘Nasi Lemak Bujang’ business, head over there in the mornings, Tuesdays to Sundays.
For more details, check out Nor’s Facebook page here or WhatsApp him at 017-2650700 to place your orders in advance.