The Malaysian Insight

WHEN he was close to 40 and barely making ends meet, Zakaria Ahmad said he made the life-changing decision more than 25 years ago to retire as a soldier and sell nasi lemak.

Zakaria, now 67, says it was a hard life but one he doesn’t regret as it was the only way he could put his five children through school and, for three of them, through university.

“I could see that we could make an earning by selling nasi lemak,” he said of his decision to set up the stall with his wife Hasmah Kechik.

“I retired when I was 39. My kids were growing up. You can imagine how much money I needed to spend on the kids for school,” said Zakaria, who comes from Johor but now living in Bangi, Selangor.

Acknowledging that giving up a full-paying job as a soldier to sell nasi lemak was a risky move, Zakaria said it was the only way he could try to provide for and raise his children as the family could not survive on his income.

After two decades of selling nasi lemak, Zakaria said all the hard work has paid off because all of his children got to further their studies.

“I built a house back in my hometown and also saved to perform the haj from what I earned from selling nasi lemak.

“What’s most important is that three of my children have a degree.”

Old but can’t hang up the apron

While Zakaria and his wife retired almost five years ago, other senior citizens are not so fortunate.

Noritah Kamis, 60, has been selling nasi lemak every morning for the past 20 years after her husband died of a heart attack.

A single mother of five, Noritah set out to run her stall with the goal of providing for her children who were young at the time of her husband’s death.

“My husband died when my children were still young. I then started selling nasi lemak to raise them. It has been 20 years since.

“I wake up at three in the morning. It was tiring and back then, all of my children were still in school,” she told The Malaysian Insight.

Today, all five have grown up and three are graduates. However, Noritah sees no end to her days of selling nasi lemak.

While other seniors can enjoy a more sedentary lifestyle, Noritah said she still has to operate her nasi lemak stall in Taman Melawati, Kuala Lumpur, because her children have yet to get proper jobs.

“For me, the cost of living is high. I have to pay electrical and water bills. I have to pay taxes,” she said.

It was reported earlier this year that food and fuel prices are expected to remain high in 2018, despite a dip at the start of the year compared with 2017. 

As the cost of living in the cities remains high, and young graduates face difficulties finding jobs, many like Noritah will have to push back their retirement plans.

“I still have to run the stall because I need an income,” said Noritah.

“My children help me as well but they have their own commitments. 

“It’s difficult for them to get a job for now and I understand it.” – February 7, 2018.