25/01/2026

ON SUNDAY January 25, 2026 II theSunday Special

As they learn to work on their own, they begin to feel confident.”

Teh

A workplace that rebuilds FRQ¿GHQFH T UDLQLQJ GHDI VWD̆ IRU WKH ) % LQGXVWU\ requires more than just teaching someone to make a good latte or carry three plates at once. For many, it becomes a journey of self-worth. Teh broke down their training into a straightforward mix of roles every restaurant needs: Floor service, kitchen prep, cashiering, drinks and cooking. But what’s remarkable is how much these VNLOOV UHVKDSH WKH VWD̆ ¶V UHODWLRQVKLS ZLWK themselves. “As they learn to work on their own, WKH\ EHJLQ WR IHHO FRQ¿GHQW ´ KH VDLG “It enhances their self-esteem and self-worth.” It sounds simple, even predictable, EXW IRU GLVDEOHG 0DOD\VLDQV ± HVSHFLDOO\ WKRVH ZKR DUH GHDI ± WKH MRE PDUNHW FDQ be unforgiving. Employers often underestimate them or skip them entirely. Opportunities shrink not because of capability, but because of assumptions. At DIB, the assumptions disappear. 7KH VWD̆ DUHQ¶W WUHDWHG OLNH FKDULW\ KLUHV They’re trained, trusted and gradually transformed into people who know exactly what they bring to the table. If you spend just a few minutes ob serving how the team works, you’ll see something many restaurant owners would NLOO IRU 6WD̆ ZKR DUH KLJKO\ WHDFKDEOH motivated by learning new things and, according to Teh, smile more consistently than most hearing employees today. It’s true. There’s a gentle warmth in the way they communicate with customers. Since most interactions rely on gestures or menu pointing, the experience becomes unexpectedly grounding. You slow down. You look people in the eye. You appreciate WKH H̆ RUW LW WDNHV WR EXLOG XQGHUVWDQGLQJ without sound.

Serving up second chances

Malaysian eatery empowers the disabled

H ERE, every meal supports a meaningful cause. Just before noon on a weekday, Menara Gamuda begins its usual transformation. The lifts spill out office workers in waves, HYHU\RQH VKẌ LQJ WRZDUG OXQFK ZLWK WKH familiar blend of hunger and mild resigna tion. However, tucked on the mezzanine level is a little pocket of energy that shakes R̆ WKDW FRUSRUDWH KD]H WKH PRPHQW \RX step inside. It’s not the smell of sizzling chicken chop or the rich, warm hit of Hawaiian FR̆ HH WKDW JUHHWV \RX ¿UVW ,W¶V WKH VPLOHV ± big ones, constant ones. The kind of smiles that make you pause a little. Because they feel genuine in a world where customer service can be hit-or-miss. At DIB Restaurant, short for Deaf in Business, the smiles happen to come

BY ASHRAF WAHAB

B XW WKH ELJJHU TXHVWLRQ ZDV VWḊ QJ It jogged a memory from 1985, when he pioneered the first Deaf KFC outlet at Jalan Imbi. “I felt it was a good idea to hire deaf VWD̆ ´ KH VDLG VLPSO\ DV LI WKH LGHD LVQ¶W as bold as it actually is. Around the same time, the concept RI VRFLDO HQWHUSULVH ZDV WDNLQJ R̆ LQ WKH :HVW ± EXVLQHVVHV WKDW RSHUDWH IRU SUR¿W while creating social impact. It clicked for him. Why couldn’t a café do both? He pitched the idea to a few agen cies. They loved the vision but couldn’t provide funding. Instead of giving up, Teh did what any stubbornly passionate founder does. He opened the café himself LQ -DQXDU\ ZLWK KLV RZQ VDYLQJV ¿YH deaf girls, two chef-coaches and a barista champion to train them. Just like that, DIB’s story began.

from a team that’s mostly deaf or hard of hearing. Yet the place hums with the kind of streamlined coordination most F&B outlets dream about. DIB, which turned 15 last December, feels like a small miracle of grit and op timism in the middle of Damansara’s corporate sprawl. And at the heart of it all is its founder and CEO, Dr Allen Teh, a man who somehow blends the vibes of a businessman, a social entrepreneur and a nostalgic drummer who once spent time in Hawaii. “ 7KDW ZDV ZKHQ WKH FR̆ HH WUHQG ZDV really starting,” he recalled of DIB’s early spark. “Starbucks, Coffee Bean, all that. I IHOW +DZDLLDQ FR̆ HH PLJKW EH VRPHWKLQJ Malaysians would be open to. Plus, I was drumming in Hawaii then, so everything sort of connected.”

Impact is the difference between

dependence and independence.”