25/01/2026

ON SUNDAY January 25, 2026 theSunday Special III

“They are independent and do not need to rely on their family. Rather, they give WKHLU SDUHQWV D PRQWKO\ DOORZDQFH ´ I W¶V D OLWWOH GHWDLO \HW LQFUHGLEO\ PRYLQJ 0DQ\ RI XV UHPHPEHU WKH ¿UVW WLPH ZH gave our parents duit belanja from our RZQ VDODU\ )RU WKHVH VWD̆ WKDW PRPHQW FDUULHV H[WUD ZHLJKW ,W¶V SULGH ,W¶V GLJQLW\ ,W¶V SURRI WKDW WKH\ FDQ VWDQG RQ WKHLU RZQ IHHW LQ D ZRUOG WKDW RIWHQ GRXEWV WKHP before they even begin. A QG WKDW PLJKW EH ',%¶V ELJJHVW DFKLHYHPHQW ± QRW MXVW FUHDWLQJ MREV EXW restoring agency. What the future could look like T KHUH¶V D TXLHW FRQ¿GHQFH LQ WKH ZD\ 7HK WDONV DERXW H[SDQVLRQ ',% LVQ¶W SODQQLQJ WR EXLOG DQ HPSLUH RU IUDQFKLVH ZLOGO\ OLNH IDVW IRRG FKDLQV %XW WKH\¶UH RSHQ WR guiding others. “We are happy to act as consultants and advisors to help investors set up more ',% RXWOHWV LQ 0DOD\VLD RU DQ\ZKHUH LQ WKH ZRUOG ´ KH VDLG “ %XW ZH ZLOO QRW EH IXQGLQJ WKHVH projects.” I W¶V D UHDOLVWLF VWDQFH 7KH\¶YH SURYHQ WKH PRGHO ZRUNV 1RZ WKH\ ZDQW PRUH people to replicate, adapt, localise and EULQJ LW LQWR RWKHU LQGXVWULHV DV ZHOO W KLOH ) % LV D QDWXUDO ILW IRU GHDI VWD̆ GXH WR LWV YLVXDO DQG URXWLQH EDVHG QDWXUH WKH SULQFLSOHV ± WUDLQLQJ WUXVW DQG ZRUNSODFH GHVLJQ ± FDQ DSSO\ WR UHWDLO hospitality, logistics and even certain types RI Ṙ FH ZRUN Malaysia could use more of that. H RZ FDQ WKH SXEOLF KHOS" ,I ZH¶UH EHLQJ KRQHVW LW¶V HDV\ C RPH LQ IRU D PHDO %ULQJ \RXU WHDP IRU OXQFK +RVW \RXU $*0 WKHUH 6SRQVRU WKHLU HTXLSPHQW XSJUDGHV LI \RX FDQ D̆ RUG WKHP 6SUHDG WKH ZRUG LI \RX GRQ¶W T KHVH DUHQ¶W DEVWUDFW JHVWXUHV 7KH\ directly translate into salaries, stability DQG WKH FRQWLQXDWLRQ RI D VSDFH ZKHUH GHDI Malaysians can thrive. A QG LI \RX KDSSHQ WR ZDON RXW ZLWK D IXOOHU VWRPDFK DQG D IXOOHU KHDUW ZHOO WKDW¶V MXVW D ERQXV F LIWHHQ \HDUV RQ ',% 5HVWDXUDQW VWLOO feels like a small revolution hiding in plain VLJKW ,W GRHVQ¶W VKRXW DERXW LQFOXVLYLW\ ,W VKRZV LW 7KURXJK LWV SHRSOH 7KURXJK LWV service. Through its everyday insistence WKDW SHRSOH ZLWK GLVDELOLWLHV DUH QRW FKDULW\ FDVHV EXW FDSDEOH ZRUNHUV ZKR EULQJ UHDO value to the table. All you have to do is step inside, point to the menu and let the smiles do the rest.

Oddly enough, the restaurant becomes more human because of it. Running a restaurant is hard enough. Running one that relies heavily on lunch WLPH Ṙ FH FURZGV" %UXWDO “Our active business hours are from 12pm to 2.30pm. With such a limited ZLQGRZ LW¶V HDV\ WR XQGHUVWDQG ZH FDQ barely make ends meet,” Teh said. A GG 0DOD\VLD¶V JHQHURXV FROOHFWLRQ RI SXEOLF KROLGD\V DQG \RX¶YH JRW D ¿QDQFLDO SX]]OH WKDW ZRXOG PDNH DQ\ DFFRXQWDQW VZHDW Y HW ',% KDV VXUYLYHG 1RW SHUIHFWO\ QRW ZLWKRXW EUXLVHV EXW ZLWK HQRXJK resilience to reach a 15-year milestone WKDW PDQ\ ) % RXWOHWV GRQ¶W FRPH FORVH WR Part of that survival is thanks to loyal FXVWRPHUV DQG *DPXGD %HUKDG ZKR FRQ WLQXH VXSSRUWLQJ WKH HDWHU\¶V PLVVLRQ 7KH RWKHU SDUW FRPHV IURP SLYRWLQJ ',% LV QRZ SXVKLQJ VWURQJO\ LQWR FDWHULQJ DQG HYHQW KRVWLQJ ZKLFK ZLOO EH LWV PDLQ IRFXV in 2026. With a 3,000sq ft space that is halal FHUWL¿HG E\ -DNLP HTXLSSHG ZLWK D VRXQG system and separate male and female suraus, the restaurant is a convenient YHQXH IRU FRUSRUDWH HYHQWV ,W¶V WKH NLQG RI GHWDLO SHRSOH RQO\ GLVFRYHU ZKHQ WKH\ VKRZ XS IRU D VHPLQDU RU WHDP OXQFK DQG go, “Eh, this place is actually perfect for events.”

Work can restore dignity, not just provide income.

A dining experience built for communication % ecause the team relies on visual com munication, the menu and ordering sys tem are designed to keep things simple. &XVWRPHUV FDQ MXVW SRLQW 7KHUH¶V QR complicated explanation or fancy chef MDUJRQ ',% XVHV D GXDO SDQHO 326 V\VWHP VR FXVWRPHUV FDQ VHH H[DFWO\ ZKDW¶V EHLQJ keyed in. It reduces confusion, speeds up RUGHUV DQG OHYHOV WKH SOD\LQJ ¿HOG R HFHQWO\ WKH\ UHFHLYHG WZR 6PDUW 6SHFWDFOHV ± D JDGJHW WKDW FRQYHUWV DXGLR WR WH[W LQ ODQJXDJHV ,W¶V RQH ZD\ FRP munication, basically a monologue, but it VWLOO PDNHV LQWHUDFWLRQV VPRRWKHU IRU VWD̆ Modernising the menu is on their ZLVKOLVW WRR EXW OLNH HYHU\WKLQJ HOVH funding is the missing piece. O QH RI WKH TXLHW MR\V RI ',%¶V ZRUN LV ZDWFKLQJ DWWLWXGHV FKDQJH )RU UHJXODUV WKH VWD̆ DUH MXVW OLNH DQ\ RWKHU UHVWDXUDQW FUHZ 1RWKLQJ RGG QRWKLQJ ³VSHFLDO´ DERXW LW )RU ¿UVW WLPHUV WKHUH¶V XVXDOO\ D PRPHQW RI VXUSULVH IROORZHG E\ FXULRVLW\ IROORZHG E\ VRPHWKLQJ VRIWHU DGPLUDWLRQ T HK KDV QRWLFHG WKLV VKLIW JURZLQJ RYHU WKH \HDUV $ZDUHQHVV LV KLJKHU 3HRSOH DUH PRUH ZLOOLQJ WR VXSSRUW EXVLQHVVHV ZLWK D SXUSRVH 6RPH FKRRVH WR KRVW WKHLU HYHQWV DW ',% VSHFL¿FDOO\ WR FRQWULEXWH WR the mission. I Q D FRXQWU\ ZKHUH GLVDELOLW\ LQFOXVLRQ is still catching up, that kind of support matters. It signals not just acceptance, but participation. I PSDFW LV D ZRUG VRFLDO HQWHUSULVHV ORYH WR XVH EXW DW ',% LW¶V QRW D EX]]ZRUG ± LW¶V WKH GL̆ HUHQFH EHWZHHQ GHSHQGHQFH and independence. “ 2XU ORQJHVW VHUYLQJ GHDI VWD̆ ZRUN ing for more than 13 years are earning more than RM3,000 per month,” Teh said.

6 till, there are gaps. After 15 years, PXFK RI ',%¶V HTXLSPHQW LV DW WKH HQG RI LWV OLIHVSDQ 5HSDLUV DUHQ¶W HQRXJK DQ\ - more. Replacement costs are mounting. Teh mentioned this gently but honestly. “ :H ZLOO EH KDSS\ WR REWDLQ ¿QDQFLDO support to replace ageing equipment and help us operate smoothly.” H H GRHVQ¶W SOHDG +H VWDWHV LW OLNH VRPHRQH ZKR¶V NHHSLQJ WKH OLJKWV RQ QRW IRU SUR¿W EXW IRU WKH SHRSOH ZKRVH OLYHV GHSHQG RQ WKDW ZRUNSODFH

DIB survived … 15 years of resilience in an industry where many F&B outlets do not last.

Visual communication and simple ordering systems make dining accessible for all.