Melaka Pindah: Age is not a barrier for Muhammad Najmi Amzairy, 18, from Melaka Pindah, in continuing his late father’s bahulu (traditional Malay egg sponge cake) business. The teenager said he was determined to make the family business, established over 20 years ago, his main source of income after completing secondary school education earlier this year.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, after the passing of his father, Amzairy M Dewa, in 2021 due to a stroke, his cousin, Arif Fathilah Othman, 28, took charge of the business. Today, they are working side by side to keep the legacy alive. Muhammad Najmi expressed his commitment to the family business, acknowledging the support from his mother and family. He emphasized the importance of continuing the business, especially since they have the necessary skills and resources, which they inherited from his late father.

Earlier, the duo received a visit from State Health, Human Resources, and Unity Committee chairman Datuk Ngwe Hee Sem, who spent about an hour at their bahulu workshop. Muhammad Najmi mentioned the increased demand for their bahulu during Ramadan, as they prepared for Aidilfitri. The bahulu is priced at RM17 for 50 pieces to keep it affordable and also to help villagers earn extra income by selling them.

Despite challenges like lack of capital, ingredient shortages, and rising costs, Muhammad Najmi expressed gratitude for being able to continue running the business. Currently, only the original flavour is available, but they hope to introduce new flavours like coffee, pandan, and strawberry in the future.

Arif Fathilah shared his journey of joining the business after initially helping his late uncle. What started as a casual involvement turned into a full-time job. He explained the daily production process they handle, which includes preparing ingredients, mixing the batter, baking, and packaging the bahulu. With their traditional recipe, they manage to produce around 1,000 pieces of bahulu daily.

Meanwhile, Ngwe, who is also the Machap Jaya assemblyman, stated that efforts would be made to assist the young entrepreneurs by providing new equipment such as an industrial mixer and baking ovens. He also contributed RM500 to help them purchase raw materials.