But for Mohd Rahmat Abd Somat, none of that has ever been a barrier.

Born with both arms ending at the wrists, the 37-year-old from Kampung Tanjung Musang, Langgar, has built a life, and livelihood, doing what many would assume impossible.

Inside his modest home-based workshop, motorcycles come and go, their owners trusting him not out of sympathy but out of faith in his skill.

Rahmat moves with confidence, installing components and tightening screws using his own techniques and specially adapted tools.

“I work carefully; even without fingers, I can still do the job,” he told Bernama. It is a mindset that has guided him from the very beginning.

Rather than dwell on what he lacks, Rahmat chose early on to focus on what he could build. In 2008, he set up his own motorcycle workshop using money saved up from his school days, along with support from his family and the social welfare department.

It was a humble start: he sourced used machines and equipment from factories, and kept costs low while slowly building his tools and expertise.

Over time, word spread. Today, motorcyclists from across the country seek him out, drawn by his reputation for careful, reliable work.

While Rahmat handles most repairs himself, he occasionally turns to his brother for more complex jobs.

A diploma graduate from Universiti Teknologi Mara, Rahmat is now able to support his his family on his own terms – an achievement that carries deep personal meaning as he became a father last year.

With a baby girl now part of his life, his motivation to succeed has only grown stronger.

His mother, Sofiah Mohamad, 71, has watched that determination unfold over the years. She said Rahmat, the youngest of her five children, has always stood out not because of his condition but because of his resilience.

Surrounded by tools he has learnt to master in his own way, Rahmat continues to prove that what truly matters is not what you are born without, but what you choose to build.