KUALA LUMPUR: Despite being told she had no future in her chosen career, Norhidayah Samad defied the odds to become a successful millionaire entrepreneur in the field of electrical contracting.
The 32-year-old said she does not deny the electrical field, which is commonly associated with men's work and seen as a challenging career, sometimes causes societal stigma when women enter it.
"When I pursued my studies in this field, some said I had no future in this career," she said.
Those words seemed not to have affected her at all. She continued to strive hard and succeeded in becoming a millionaire, thanks to her chosen field.
Norhidayah said the presence of women in the field proves that careers should not be limited by gender but should be evaluated based on ability and quality of work.
She said she had initially planned to further her studies in the field of automotive skills after completing her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM).
However, the opportunity did not come her way, and she instead chose the electrical field.
"When I pursued skills education in electrical wiring, I found that it was actually something interesting, and I began to take it seriously to deepen my knowledge in the field.
"Eventually, I continued my studies at the diploma level in techno entrepreneurship at Institut Kemahiran Mara and obtained an A1 electrical machine caretaker certificate from GiatMara.
"At the same time, I practised these skills through side jobs with others to hone my skills," she said.
In 2011, she mustered the courage to start her own company. Now, the eldest of nine siblings is a Class C contractor in the field of electrical wiring.
Recalling her early experiences, she admits that a career as an electrical wiring contractor has its challenges, especially requiring a tough and brave spirit.
"Getting shocked, being in high places, or working under the heat has become a normal part of the job, but it does not dampen my spirit to continue in this field."
Norhidayah said, as a woman in the field, the challenges are not only present when becoming an entrepreneur but also while still studying.
"I still remember when I wanted to do an industrial internship... it was not easy for employers to accept female interns for electrical wiring work.
"But I proved that even though I am a woman, I can deliver the same quality of work as men," she said.
She said the presence of women in the electrical contracting career actually provides a lot of comfort to female customers when they come to provide services at home.
"Sometimes female customers are alone at home while their husbands are at work, and when they know that I will be the one to handle the electrical wiring issues, they feel more comfortable because I am a woman coming to their house," she said.
Besides providing services in electrical wiring work, Norhidayah also supplies electrical goods for construction used by electrical contractors.
Now, having faced challenges due to her gender, she wants to help more women who want to do internships at her company.
"For me, it is a responsibility to help more women get involved in the electrical field because I have gone through those difficult phases and see that women are actually capable of delivering quality work in this field," she said.