Two sisters have picked up where they left off by returning to sell cendol in Pahang, hoping to help ease their family’s financial burden despite tragically losing their right legs in a road accident on 7 February last year.
18-year-old Nik Haziera Saffiya Nik Husmadi and her 20-year-old sister, Nik Haznita Saffiya, were riding a motorcycle when it collided with a lorry, resulting in both of them having their right legs amputated.
Malaysian sisters continue business to help support family
In an interview with Sinar Harian, the sisters said they decided to continue running the cendol business because they couldn’t bear seeing their 46-year-old father shoulder the responsibility of supporting their family of six on his own.
“We felt sorry for our father, who takes on odd jobs in the village to support our entire family. With the current economic situation, his burden has become even heavier. My sister and I agreed that we needed to get back on our feet and resume selling cendol to help both our father and mother,” Nik Haziera said.
Now a national wheelchair fencing development athlete after completing her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) last year, Nik Haziera said the biggest challenge since becoming a person with a disability (OKU) has been adapting to her limited mobility.
Reflecting on life before the accident, she said:
“We used to be very independent. We could carry everything needed for the business, set up the canopy, and handle many tasks ourselves. But after becoming persons with disabilities, there are so many things we can no longer do on our own and have to rely on others for. That has been the hardest thing for me to accept.”
She added that despite everything they had gone through, she and her sister accepted what happened with an open heart and did not let it affect them emotionally.
“We have never given up”
Despite the challenges, Nik Haziera said the positive response from the public has motivated them to continue running the business.
“My right hand was almost amputated because many of the nerves and tissues were severely damaged. Even now, it often hurts, feels weak, and sometimes goes numb. That’s why I need my sister’s help when preparing cendol, especially for tasks that require physical strength.
“Our biggest challenge is when customers request drive-through service because we can’t move quickly enough to meet those requests. To this day, we’ve never given up on continuing with our lives and our business,” she said.
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