Former security guard turns waste wood into furniture for living
PADANG TERAP: A former security guard, who takes up part-time job to cut down trees to supplement his income, has now got an additional source of income to support his family — making furniture from waste wood.
Mohammad Shuib Kassim, 28, used to just dump or burn the waste wood, until an idea came to him to turn the waste wood into something that could provide him with additional income.
“Now, instead of disposing of the waste wood, I use it to make furniture. Words then spread and now, it has been six years since I started making furniture using waste wood,” he told Bernama at his home in Kampung Baru, Padang Sanai near here, yesterday.
According to the young craftsman, among the orders that he received were to make a bedroom set and a sofa set, dining table, wardrobe and shoe rack, — all selling for between RM400 and RM3,000 a piece.
Nowadays, Mohammad Shuib said he used wood from Buku Lima, Sentang, Merawan and Merbau trees to make furniture as ordered by his customers.
He said he had no problem selling his hand-made furniture as they had unique designs and craftwork.
“The furniture I make have neat finishing, shiny, beautiful and are durable,” he said, adding that he received support from the Kedah Regional Development Authority (Keda), Agriculture Department, Malaysian Timber Industry Board (MTIB) and Kedah branch Kraftangan Malaysia.
“I’m hoping to expand my business to the international market; I need a few more equipment for the workshop and in the process of applying for government grants,” said the father of the four children, aged between two weeks and seven years.
Meanwhile, Padang Terap District Agriculture officer Mohamad Yuzaidi Azmi said the department would assist Mohammad Shuib, including providing him with a new workshop under the department’s Agro Handicraft and Agro-based Product Development programme, as well as to help him improve the quality of his furniture products.