Entrepreneurs grateful for tamu desa shelter

nabalunews

12 February 2025

PENAMPANG: Maliana Tuging, a 50-year-old vendor, has been selling her produce at Babagon Tamu since 2002. Every day was a struggle as she rose before dawn to select and collect fruits such as Pineapples, bananas as well as a variety of vegetables and transport them to her stall.

Maliana who hails from Kg Babagon, shares that in the early days, there were many challenges especially with the weather as it could be unpredictable, and a sudden downpour could occur turning the ground around her stall into muddy puddles.

This was a deterrent to potential buyers who didn’t want to squelch their way to the stalls.

“At that time, we rely mostly on passers-by as our stalls are sited along the Penampang-Tambunan Road. Mostly our buyers are those who wish to buy vegetables and fruits to bring home to the family.”

“We also have customers from in and around our area, mostly buying vegetables to cook for their family. We do depend on these two groups of people to buy our wares. We sell here at the Tamu Desa stall every day and I think this is beneficial to the entrepreneurs here.”

Maliana shared that she started her business with a loan of RM3000 from Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM) in 2011 which she used to buy her more goods and upgrade her stall table.

“Getting the money was good as I managed to buy things that otherwise I couldn’t if I used everyday profit. The margin was very small and rolling capital was almost impossible,” she shared.

After paying off that loan, she borrowed RM13,000 which allowed her to increase the number of items to sell on her stall.

“AIM is as it offers loans with affordable repayment,” she said adding that it was suitable for people like her whose business profit margin is quite thin.

AIM offers small entrepreneurs with crucial financial resources and comprehensive support, empowering them to launch, maintain, and expand their businesses effectively. In doing so, they play a significant role in fostering the economic development of their communities.

She also thanked Datuk Ewon Benedick the Minister of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperative (MEDC) for his constant support of small entrepreneurs like her. He also facilitated the Tamu Desa building where Maliana and her fellow venders are presently carrying out their business.

At 59, Yati Ikat, a resident of Kg Babagon, operates a beverage business offering refreshing drinks such as ice green tea and rose syrup, among others. Previously employed as a cleaner at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Yati’s journey into entrepreneurship began after an accident forced her to leave that job.

In 2011, she borrowed RM1,000 to kickstart her business, but it struggled to gain traction. Undeterred, she took out another loan of RM2,000 in 2016, followed by an additional RM3,000 last year, demonstrating her resilience and commitment to her entrepreneurial aspirations.

Looking ahead, Yati has plans to diversify her offerings by selling fish, as she believes this would set her apart from other vendors in the area. She shared that her initial attempts at selling fish were well-received by the community.

“My customers were primarily local residents who appreciated the convenience of purchasing fish from me instead of going to the market,” she explained.

“Even passersby occasionally stopped to buy, as many prefer heading directly home to cook rather than diverting to the town market.”

Despite facing competition from mobile fish vendors who visit house to house at the nearby villages, Yati remains optimistic.

“When they arrive too early, I lose customers, but I believe there is significant potential for selling fish in this area,” she asserted.

She also expressed her gratitude to Ewon, the Penampang Member of Parliament, a people-oriented leader renowned for his deep empathy and unwavering support for tamu desa entrepreneurs.