A Malaysian woman is living the ultimate success story of owning her own business and helping others by providing jobs after having endured a difficult past of working as a ‘masseuse’ at a spa where male customers took advantage of her.
Kuan Chee Heng, more famously known as Uncle Kentang, took to his Facebook page to share how he had met the woman, known as Aminah, during the darkest time of her life. She had reached out to him to donate groceries to the underprivileged, while being underprivileged herself, in an effort to repent for her previous job.
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He wrote, “I started the journey of Uncle Kentang many years ago. I used to receive groceries from many people. One of them is Aminah. She worked as a masseuse in a hotel in Petaling Jaya. The best thing was that the massage centre could be accessed from the parking lot, hence it was quite popular during its heydays.”
“Aminah called me to go to the carpark. There, she would load all the groceries from her car, into my car. Often, tears would be streaming down her cheeks. She told me that she was ‘atoning for her sins and may God forgive her wicked behaviour‘. She was working there reluctantly.”
She became a ‘masseuse’ after her husband left her
Aminah was a single mother with 2 differently-abled sons who had severe learning disabilities.
Due to her husband leaving her to marry another woman, she had become penniless and stranded. She then resorted to becoming a ‘masseuse’ at the spa, where she entertained clients of various races and was “mauled” by men.
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With the money she earned, she sent her 2 children to the best differently-abled private school in Ampang and hired a nanny to assist with the children at night, while she was forcing herself to engage with clients at the massage centre.
“She told me she always cleaned herself and wore a tudung (headscarf) when heading home, to avoid gossip from busy bodies and useless neighbours, who will quickly shoot to moral or religious policing but rarely offered to help her with her 2 differently-abled sons. She carried an office bag as camouflage from her true job,”
A mother’s love
“Being a ‘masseuse’ was never a choice. But she did it out of love. It was a transition period in her life and showcased a mother’s love. She didn’t place much hope on government aid for her differently-abled sons. She knew that, one day, when she passed away, her sons must be able to fend for themselves. She planned her sons’ journey and growth,” he added.
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At the same time, due to feeling ashamed of her job, she would donate groceries to the underprivileged, through Uncle Kentang, as a way to repent.
“It was the only way to make her feel better.”
A happy, triumphant ending
After 7 years of working at the massage centre, Aminah managed to save enough money to start her own massage parlour.
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She had worked and studied hard, as well as taken a course for midwives, and opened a pre and postnatal spa for women. She even hires single mothers and trains them to become legitimate masseuses at her spa.
“She has employed and trained many single mums. She does not want them to be thrown into her previous trade.”
“She prays regularly, hoping God will forgive her. Her 2 sons have now grown into teenagers. They are better and able to care for themselves, but financially, mummy still chips in now and then,” Uncle Kentang shared.
We genuinely hope that Aminah continues to grow her business and help other single mothers in need, and that her sons grow into capable and honourable young men.
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