Suryati celebrates Hari Raya Aidilfitri in new Sibu Jaya home
SIBU: It was a dream come true for happy home owner Suryati Ismail who celebrated Hari Raya Aidilfitri at her new home in Sibu Jaya.
“When we bought the house last year, we were excited about the prospect of celebrating in our beautiful new home in Sibu Jaya, and we started planning and decorating,” she said during her Hari Raya open house on Sunday.
“And the fruits of our labour are now open for all to enjoy,” she added happily as she went about serving her guests at her corner unit Pearl Avenue home.
Ref lecting on the decision to purchase a home in Sibu Jaya, she said it was a practical and sensible move.
“I would never have gotten such a house in the Sibu town proper at this price,” she said referring to both the built-up space and the surrounding compound.
She said it made sense for her to use the difference between what she would have spent buying a house in town and purchasing a home in Sibu Jaya, by ploughing it back into decorating her new home.
Suryati believes the booming Sibu Jaya township offers her a good opportunity to start her own café business.
“I rented a corner unit and opened up my Razz’s Café Sibu Jaya ( business) last year and business has been exciting,” she added.
She said with hard work and determination, anyone could make a living for themselves and not have to rely on others.
“My husband was worried about the hours I would have to put in to make both my business and our home a success,” she recalled.
“But I told him, without hard work, success will not come and I promised him I will not moan about the hours,” she said while laughing.
Today, the café has branched out to do catering and serves halal food.
Suryati is still in a state of euphoria months after serving the Prime Minister and his entourage at an event near Sibu Jaya last year.
“I plucked up my courage and I knew if I prepared well and conducted myself professionally, everything would go smoothly,” she said recounting her initial nervousness when securing the catering contract.
Her story typically reflects the success stories of many of Sibu Jaya’s inhabitants who venture out of their comfort zones in the old part of Sibu Town to start a new life in this exciting township which has grown by leaps and bounds over the last 20 years.