Johor Man Turns His Hustle Selling Karipaps Into Popular Business Earning RM80K A Month
He toiled for years, putting aside the stigma that came with being a street vendor.
By Sadho Ram — 06 Jul 2023, 02:21 PM
He's a street vendor and makes a living selling curry puffs
Every day, he walks more than 10km between Dataran Pontian and Laman Diraha Pontian in Johor to sell the popular snack, also known as "epok-epok", for the last seven years, spending hours under the sun.
The 49-year-old, who has suffered through several failed business ventures, started his curry puff business called 'Karipap Ale-Ale' using only RM40 as capital, according to a report in Kosmo!
Using the RM40, Jasmin has now turned his fortune around, now earning anywhere between RM60,000 and RM80,000 each month. Occasionally, the jovial man even earns RM100,000 during school breaks.
While Jasmin now makes up to RM80,000 a month, it didn't happen overnight. He has toiled day and night for years and has battled the stigma of being a street vendor before eventually seeing it pay off.
"In the beginning, it was difficult to overcome the shame of being a street vendor, but for the sake of my wife and seven children, I put everything aside and focused on survival," Kosmo! quoted him as saying.
However, toiling so hard also came at the risk of his physical well-being.
He went through various challenges including suffering immobility in both his hands. There was a time when he couldn't move them as usual due to the physical stress that came with carrying a curry puff basket for hours.
This prompted him to buy a trolley to help ease his efforts in selling curry puffs.
The move increased his sales, and, in order to meet the demand, he then opened a shop with help from the Rubber Industry Smallholders Development Authority (RISDA).
The shop allowed him to produce about 2,000 to 5,000 curry puffs a day, he shared.
Jasmin seen here with Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.
Image via Karipap Ale-Ale (Facebook)Since then, he has teamed up with several popular eateries in the state
The eateries, some of which are Tenggek Coffee Restaurant in Tanjung Piai and Kemangi Restaurant in Bandar Pontian, now sell Jasmin's curry puffs, which come in different sizes and fillings.
"The curry puffs I sell have various fillings such as potatoes, eggs, sardines, chicken, beef, pineapple, cheese, and vermicelli, with prices ranging from RM1 to RM5 depending on the size. As for the frozen curry puffs, they are sold at RM8 per pack, depending on the product and filling, along with S, M, and L sizes for direct sales or online purchase," he told the Malay Daily.
Now, he has plans to export his curry puffs to Singapore
"I have also held discussions with entrepreneurs in Singapore in order to enable my business, Karipap Ale-Ale, to be marketed to their country," the 49-year-old explained.
According to Jasmin, he is content now, seeing his street vendor hustle grow into a full-fledged business that provides jobs to young Malaysians and currently has 15 employees.
