Syawaliza Bakes Her Way To Thriving Business With Halal Mooncakes

By Sarinah Mat Kasim

SEREMBAN, Jan 19 (Bernama) -- With just RM2,000 in capital, a former lecturer is now able to earn a five-figure annual income from selling halal mooncakes, a business she has been running for the past five years.

What started as a hobby for Syawaliza Abdul Kutty, 42, has now turned into a booming business, leaving her swamped with orders, especially ahead of the Chinese New Year.

Captivated by the uniqueness of traditional Chinese mooncakes when she attended the Mooncake Festival at a shopping mall, the mother of two was inspired to create halal mooncakes that could be enjoyed by everyone, particularly Muslims.

She recalled that from that moment, she took the initiative to teach herself how to make mooncakes using halal ingredients so the Muslim community could enjoy them without any doubts.

“We all know that mooncakes are traditionally associated with the Chinese community, but the truth is, we can make them ourselves using halal ingredients available in the market.

“I searched for the recipe online and taught myself. One of the tweaks I made was using peanut oil to give it a taste close to traditional Chinese mooncakes,” she told Bernama at the Wakaf Mart, Masjid Saidatina Khadijah in Seremban.

The owner of Ammarnee Mooncake assured that her mooncakes were clean and safe for consumption, making them eligible for halal certification from the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) through the Negeri Sembilan Islamic Affairs Religious Department (JHEAINS) under the Halal Cottage programme.

Syawaliza described the decision to leave her job to take care of her twins and run a small business since 2020 as ultimately rewarding, as her mooncakes were gaining popularity in the local market.

She added that her mooncakes were sold at prices ranging from RM3 to RM6, depending on the flavour.

“These halal mooncakes are in demand from the local community, with some ordering them as doorgifts for weddings and other events.

“Right now, I’m really busy fulfilling orders for the upcoming Chinese New Year. In addition to Malay and Indian customers, I’ve also received many orders from the Chinese community, who are gifting them to their Malay friends,” she said.

Syawaliza shared that she was able to produce over 400 mooncakes a week, offering a variety of flavours such as green bean, red bean, and pandan, with special flavours like durian, pineapple, and chocolate available upon request.

To further expand her business, Syawaliza said that she had applied for assistance in the form of equipment and machinery from the State Agricultural Department.

“I hope that this product can be marketed more widely across the state, as right now it’s only available in a few stores with limited quantities

"However, Alhamdulillah, I am still grateful for the increasing demand, even though it’s not the mooncake or lantern festival season,” she said.

-- BERNAMA