KUALA TERENGGANU: A man gave up his career in the oil and gas industry to sell fruits to provide jobs for his unemployed friends in the village.
The noble intention of Mohd Afiffudin Rani, 31, from Kampung Banggol Tuan Muda here, deserves praise as he sacrificed his lucrative and stable career to help his friends.
Afiffudin said he did not regret leaving his well-paying job in June 2019 to start the business.
"Income from selling fruits is also good. The most important thing is that I can help my friends in the village get jobs.
"With a capital of RM10,000 from my savings, I started the fruit business with the help of a friend in 2019.
"After six years of running the business, I now employ four of my friends as workers," he said at his fruit stall here today.
He added that he was happy to see his friends, who were once jobless and directionless, earning their own income.
"Although the salary is not very high, it is at least enough to meet their daily needs.
"They also enjoy working because the job is not burdensome, and they are offered bonuses if sales are high."
He said many people questioned his decision to quit his job and sell fruits in the village.
"They think I was throwing away a good opportunity in the oil and gas industry and creating problems for myself by starting a business.
"It was undeniably challenging at the beginning due to a lack of customers, but over time, the fruit sales gained traction and business grew."
Afiffudin said he initially sold watermelons before adding other fruits like apples, grapes, guavas, and seasonal fruits like durians and jackfruit to the list.
"In addition to fruits, I also sell various types of yams during the monsoon season."