IPOH: Fifty-seven-year old Saparisah Abdul Rahman, who has 16 grandchildren, can still lift, carry and deliver a 12kg or 14kg liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)-filled cylinder from house to house, a job which is normally done by men.
She has no hesitation in lifting the cylinders on her motorcycle, even carrying three on tge vehicle at one time, to get them delivered to her customers.
The job has been her livelihood for the past 15 years, and she continues to do the job to prove that women are also capable of doing jobs that are traditionally associated with men.
"I have a younger brother who runs the business and in 2004, I decided to do the same.
"Initially, it was hard and back-breaking, because I was not strong enough to even lift a gas cylinder, what more to carry it to my customer's doorsteps. The gas cylinder either weighs 12 kg or 14 kg. I had back pain initially, but I've gotten used to it over time," she said when met at her house in Kampung Datuk Ahmad Said Tambahan II, here.
Saparisah, fondly known as Kak Zah, said she can carry three gas cylinders at a time on her motorcycle, when making deliveries to her customers, who are mostly in Taman Meru and Silibin.
The mother of six said that although it was traditionally a man's job, she kept doing it to help her family and would turn a deaf ear to negative remarks made at her.
"There are some people who cannot believe that I can personally deliver their orders to their homes, and they were indeed surprised that I am able to make the delivery to their doorsteps myself.
"When I get nasty remarks, I just give them a smile and continue with my work. Nowadays we cannot be selective to earn a living. As long as the job provides me with a halal earning, I'll do it," said Saparisah.
She said she was a pottery maker at a factory in Jalan Kuala Kangsar until the factory closed.
"With nothing to do, I felt bored and wanted to do something to earn a living to help my husband. So, I decided to sell cooking gas cylinders by providing a home delivery service. Also, I wanted a business that pays daily, not on monthly basis, like working in a factory," she said, adding that she gets orders of up to 40 LPG gas cylinders from her customers daily.
Saparisah has faced the challenges that have come her way, such as when her store was broken into once.
"Each cylinder costs RM128, it is expensive. Imagine the losses I suffered, when they were stolen," said Saparisa, who started her business with assistance from Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia. – BERNAMA