Two Entrepreneurs Prove Disability No Barrier To Success

NILAI, Oct 27 (Bernama) -- The determination of two visually impaired entrepreneurs in successfully running a massage centre for two decades illustrates that physical disabilities do not hinder success. Their story serves as an inspiration to the community.

Hasidi Hassan, 56, shared that he and his partner, Siti Hadijah Abu Bakar, 49, had faced various challenges in their business, yet they persisted in leveraging their skills to keep the Maju Therapy Zone massage centres in two locations in Kuala Lumpur competitive.

With a strong belief in their abilities and nearly 30 years of experience, the duo founded a massage centre that currently employs almost 20 therapists, all of whom are visually impaired.

“I spent 14 years, from 2004 to 2018, learning massage techniques from several experts at the Massage Hospital in Beijing, China. Since then, I have continually improved my skills, which eventually enabled me to open this massage centre.

“I operated multiple branches prior to COVID-19, but after the pandemic, we could only maintain operations in two locations,” Hasidi, who lost his sight following an accident in 1995, told reporters today.

Earlier, Hasidi and Siti Hadijah were honoured with a special award during the Skills and Entrepreneurship Convocation Ceremony at Dewan Tuanku Canselor, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM) here.

Hasidi said that, in addition to offering therapeutic massage services to clients, the centre conducted training sessions for the visually impaired to learn proper massage techniques.

The father of four said that despite the challenges their business faced, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic, they retained a loyal customer base who continued to seek their massage services.

Meanwhile, Siti Hadijah expressed her gratitude for the positive feedback her therapy service received from customers, including dignitaries.

“Learning massage techniques in Beijing allowed me to enhance my skills and gain a thorough understanding of the human body’s structure, particularly its anatomy and physiology,” said the mother of five.

-- BERNAMA