T-shirt trader Beel-ieves in herself
KOTA KINABALU: Losing the use of an arm several years ago did not deter Sakinahtul Nabilah Bitis from pursuing her dream of becoming a businesswoman.
The 31-year-old, whose printing business is now among one of the most successful under the Malaysian Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) e-Usahawan programme, said she had to think smart after the accident.
“I decided that printing would be perfect as it does not involve too much manual work,” she said during the #YouCanDuit Campaign Carnival here on Saturday.
Sakinahtul Nabilah, or more fondly known as Beel, recalled that fateful day in 2014 when she was trying to fix a window at home when glass shards fell on her arm.
“The shards cut through my veins and doctors told me I could not use my left arm after that,” said the owner of Nabeel Trader, which specialises in T-shirt and souvenir printing.
Beel first took part in the e-Usahawan programme two months ago with a group of disabled people at Universiti Malaysia Sabah.
They were taught to use the Internet, especially social media to promote their businesses.
“Before participating in the course, I did try to promote my products online but on an occasional basis.
“Now, after being taught to take good photographs of our products for promotional purposes, my income has gone up from RM800 to RM8,000 in one month,” she said.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Seri Raymond Tan who launched the carnival said the state government would be discussing an action plan to broaden the implementation of digital economy in Sabah.
“The state government wants to make existing programmes more inclusive to all Sabahans,” he said.
Some of the programmes that help to enhance digital economy are MDEC’s e-Usahawan and e-Rezeki programmes, both under the purview of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Ministry (MCMC).
Chief executive of MDEC, an agency under MCMC, Datuk Yasmin Mahmood said the #YouCanDuit Campaign was a holistic initiative providing encouragement, professional support and opportunities for Malaysians, especially those in the suburbs and rural areas, to participate in the digital economy.