PETALING JAYA: To others, the sight of a four-year-old pushing a trolley at a night market might seem sweet - a small child eagerly helping her parents with their business.
For Zaim Zazami Ibrahim, it is a sight that often leaves him emotional.
His daughter recently went viral on social media after she was filmed helping her parents at their stall. While many saw a hardworking little girl lending a hand, Zaim could not help thinking about how different her childhood was from that of other children.
“What saddens me most is seeing her still at the stall at midnight, while other children are already asleep,” he told FMT.
Zaim, 42, is a person with disabilities who was left partially paralysed after sustaining a spinal injury in a road accident in 2006. With his wife, Kartini Ahmad, 42, he now sells desserts at the TSI Sports Arena Cyberjaya night market and at Lorong Belakang Cyberjaya.
The couple turned to food after their tailoring business struggled following the pandemic. Their dream is to establish a central kitchen, expand to several locations and, in time, create opportunities for others to earn a living as well.
As difficult as it is for Zaim to see his young daughter working alongside them, he hopes the experience will someday teach her about resilience, perspective and gratitude.
“Maybe she doesn’t understand it now, but I hope when she grows up, the experience of helping us run the business will teach her about life," he said.
Zaim knows something about rebuilding a life after hardship. After becoming partially paralysed, he enrolled at the Industrial Training and Rehabilitation Centre in Bangi in 2007, where meeting other people with disabilities facing even greater challenges changed his outlook.
“I realised there was actually a future for me. There was a chance to succeed, and life could still hold possibility and purpose,” he said.
It was also at the centre that he met Kartini. The couple married in 2011.
Kartini said their dessert business has received a warm reception, with customers often going beyond buying what they sell.
“Many people support us by buying our products, while some donate money and ask us to use it to treat customers who come to our stall,” she said.
"Malaysians are really kind-hearted."