KUALA TERENGGANU: The famous saying “Where there’s a will, there’s a way” describes Mohd Alamin Jais aptly as he is determined not to use his disability as an excuse from working hard and be independent.
Despite being born with deformed fingers, Mohd Alamin, 47, is just like other fathers and husbands out there, working hard to provide a comfortable life for his family.
While some people with disabilities may still need some forms of assistance from others to continue living, Mohd Alamin preferred to focus on his tailoring business although his earning hardly covered his family daily needs.
“I have been interested to become a tailor since I was small. I guess I developed the interest over the years after seeing my late mother who was a seamstress then, taking orders from the villagers especially during festive season and so on.
“From there, I made up my mind to inherit my mother’s sewing skills and started attending tailoring courses at the Social Welfare Department (SWD)’s rehabilitation workshop in Pulau Kerengga, Marang, 27 years ago,” he told Bernama.
Mohd Alamin said that he travelled daily on his motorcycle from his home in Kampung Belukar Sukai, Kepong, to his shop on the third floor, Kuala Terengganu City Council Bus Station.
He recalled in the early years, he set up his tailoring business at the Kuala Terengganu Tourism Information Centre before moving to the current shop lot at the bus station using his own savings without financial assistance from any parties.
With a wife and five children, aged two to 14, to feed, Mohd Alamin said he was more comfortable working independently even though there were times when he couldn’t cater to too many customers at any one time.
“Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah), thus far, no customers has been complaining or are unsatisfied with my works … they understand … and I have been honest with them with what kind of sewing or alterations that I can do for them.
“For example, if it is only for a simple cut or trim on the pants, then it can be done in 30 minutes. For a more complicated work such as major alterations then I will need between three to four days to do it,” he said.
Despite his positive outlook in life, Mohd Alamin admitted that in the recent years, he was earning half of what he was used to, due to less customers made a stop at the area where his business was located.
“But, Alhamdulillah (Praise be to Allah), my family received monthly assistance of RM400 from the SWD and I am also eligible for the living allowance assistance of RM300.
“I would like to thank the Terengganu Islamic Religion and Malay Customs Council (Maidam) that has provided us a new home that just recently completed so we can now live comfortably.
“And as long as I still have the energy and determination, InsyaAllah (God willing) I will continue to offer my sewing skills to others so that I can provide for my wife and children because for me the hand that gives is better than the hand that receives,” he said.—Bernama
