by Dr Rahim Said
Ask anyone today and they’ll tell you — RM100 doesn’t go far. A trip to the pasar malam, a bag of ikan kembung, some kangkung, maybe a kuih or two, and it’s gone before you’ve even zipped up your wallet.
So, when I heard that an elderly couple in Alor Setar turned their MyKasih RM100 into RM600, I thought someone had mixed up the maths.
But no — this was no typo. It was grit and creativity at work for a couple in their 60s.
The story came from my wheelchair-bound artist and wannabe-reporter, Kamaruddin, who messaged me online. “Bro,” he said, “RM100 cannot even last me a week. But my wife and I thought — why not make it work harder than a politician during election season?”
Their secret was sitting right there in the corner of their kitchen: a gas oven. His wife, who seems to have flour running through her veins, decided to revive a recipe few today have even heard of — Roti Palembang.
This bread isn’t ordinary. Legend has it that in the old days, it was reserved for royals. Ordinary folks couldn’t buy it, even if they sold their goats.
But somewhere along the way, a persuasive family friend coaxed an elderly mak cik to part with the recipe on her deathbed. Kamaruddin joked, “Think of it as Wikileaks — but for bread.”
With MyKasih RM100 worth of flour, sugar, eggs, and milk from a participating store, the baking began.
One kilo of flour produced six loaves, each selling for RM5. Multiply that across 20 kilos, and within a week the couple had baked 120 loaves — earning RM600.
Kamaruddin was quick to point out, “It’s my wife who does all the kneading. I can hardly paint these days. But she rolled up her sleeves and made it happen.”
Their home soon smelled like a royal bakery, and neighbours started lining up for a taste. By the end of the week, they had not just cash in hand, but also a renewed sense of purpose.
It’s a six-fold return, better than any stock market tip your kopitiam uncle could offer. But beyond the math, it’s a lesson in mindset. While some see RM100 as a drop in the ocean, others see it as seed capital for something greater.
Kamaruddin summed it up perfectly: “Bro, it only works if you have a wife willing to spend a week in the kitchen!”
The real takeaway? This couple didn’t just bake bread. They baked resilience, perseverance, and a reminder that even the smallest resources can multiply when mixed with determination.
So, the next time RM100 feels too small, remember the couple in Alor Setar. In the right hands, even a little can rise — higher than Roti Palembang in the oven.