What began as a search for healthier food during treatment eventually turned into something bigger. Today, the 54-year-old runs a successful business selling gluten-free biscuits.
“During my treatment, I had to be very careful with what I ate,” Maizatul, who is better known as Izzah, told Bernama.
“It was difficult to find snacks that suited my diet, so I started experimenting in the kitchen and baking cookies using gluten-free flour.
“Having cancer was the lowest point in my life,” she added, “but when I came up with this idea, people responded positively.”
Her early baking attempts were far from perfect. Producing gluten-free biscuits, she explained, isn’t as simple as replacing ordinary flour: achieving the right balance of texture and flavour takes time, patience, and many rounds of trial and error.
But she eventually found a formula that worked. And soon, her biscuits were finding a following among those in search of healthier snack options, including customers with dietary restrictions or certain health conditions.
Izzah, who has been cancer-free since 2021, now produces her biscuits at a small workshop in the Rukun Tetangga of Kampung Cenderawasih Timur here.
Under her brand Izzah Recipe, she offers a variety of gluten-free treats including suji, nut, coconut and triple chocolate biscuits, as well as oat cereal and murukku.
Demand has grown steadily, with her products – priced between RM10 and RM35 – sold through a network of five stockists and six sales agents, as well as during nationwide sales tours.
Overcoming life’s challenges
Izzah’s foray into entrepreneurship began even before her cancer diagnosis. She had already been selling food products full-time since 2011, having previously struggled to make ends meet as a single mother.
“Back in the late 1990s, I did whatever work I could find: collecting rubbish, washing dishes… at the same time, I would bake cakes to earn extra income as I had two children to feed,” she recalled.
As demand for her homemade cakes and kuih grew, she was gradually able to expand her product range, which in turn improved her financial situation.
Today, with her children all grown up, she is thriving as a small-business owner who has been recognised for her determination and resilience.
Notably, Izzah was named the 2023 Asnaf Entrepreneur Icon by the Pahang Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council.
Through the challenges of single motherhood and health crises, Izzah’s story is proof that unexpected new beginnings can still emerge out of life’s toughest moments.