What started as a hobby for the 42-year-old has become a booming business with her products in high demand, especially ahead of the Lunar New Year.

Captivated by the uniqueness of traditional Chinese mooncakes during the Mooncake Festival at a shopping mall, the mother of two was inspired to create halal mooncakes that could be enjoyed by everyone, particularly Muslims.

She thus took the initiative to teach herself how to make mooncakes using halal ingredients, so the Muslim community could enjoy them without worry.

“I searched for the recipe online and taught myself,” she told Bernama recently. “One of the tweaks I made was using peanut oil to give it a taste close to traditional Chinese mooncakes.”

Syawaliza is able to produce over 400 mooncakes a week, offering flavours such as green bean, red bean and pandan, with special varieties such as durian, pineapple and chocolate available upon request.

She said her products, which are available year-round, are clean and safe for consumption, making them eligible for halal certification.

Describing her decision to leave her job in 2020 to care for her twins and run her business as rewarding, she said her mooncakes – priced at between RM3 and RM6 each, depending on the flavour – are gaining popularity in the local market.

“My mooncakes are in demand from the local community, with some ordering them as door gifts for weddings and other events. Right now, I’m really busy fulfilling orders for Chinese New Year,” she shared.

“In addition to Malay and Indian customers, I’ve received many orders from the Chinese community, who gift them to their Malay friends.”

To further expand her business, Syawaliza said she has applied for assistance for new equipment and machinery from the state agricultural department.

“I hope my products can be marketed more widely across the state, as right now it’s only available in a few stores with limited quantities.

“Nevertheless, I am grateful for the increasing demand, even though it’s not the mooncake or lantern festival season,” she concluded.

Follow Syawaliza on TikTok.