Innovator Junaidi Ahmad turns black pepper extract into modern therapeutic product under ‘Pak Nai’ brand

Junaidi Ahmad, also known as Pak Nai, poses with some of his products for traditional therapeutic use.

by Wilfred Pilo

KUCHING, Aug 7: A 60-year-old traditional aromatic medicinal herb cottage industry seller, Junaidi Ahmad, also known as Pak Nai, often wonders how to use modern technology to enhance dried black pepper extract for its healing properties and create a product accepted by end users.

In 2011, after two decades, his dreams and ideas materialised when he made black pepper extract the basis for medicinal use in therapeutic healing.

Pak Nai claims he was the first to use dried black pepper extract to make local therapeutic massage oil.

Since then, he has developed 20 products under the brand ‘Pak Nai’ using black pepper extract, which have been accepted in West Malaysia, Brunei, and Indonesia.

He said that having a small cottage business in therapeutics, he is proud of his accomplishment and has shown that his products are effective and that his hard work has paid off.

A close-up photo of various popular Pak Nai massage oils and lotions which utilise black pepper extract.

In the 1990s, Pak Nai shared he was a street vendor on India Street selling local gambier extract (gambir Sarawak) after quitting his government job.

He told DayakDaily that he always wanted to run his own business, spurred by the government’s encouragement for Bumiputra folks to get involved in business.

“While selling local gambier, I asked myself why local herbs like dried black pepper, used by traditional medicinal practitioners for their healing properties, were never made good use of as alternative medicine.

“I suggested using dried black pepper extract in a medicinal product for therapeutic healing, and many people laughed at my ideas at the time.

“But I continued to find out more information and learned from authorities and experts about using dried black pepper extracts for healing. I was not perturbed,” he reminisced.

Pak Nai added that he sought help from his friends in West Malaysia to create his product. He succeeded with his first ‘Minyak Urut Lada Hitam’ or black pepper massage oil.

“I was excited and full of anxiety when the product got accepted in West Malaysia and then landed in the Kuching market. This enlightened me about my beliefs and dreams. It entered the Brunei market soon after and now Indonesia with other products using black pepper extract,” he further disclosed.

Junaidi Ahmad’s first-ever product using black pepper extract, the ‘minyak urut lada hitam’.

In 2017, Pak Nai was awarded the Anugerah Usahawan Harapan Negeri Sarawak. This award finally made him realize that he had fulfilled his dream.

“In the same year, I was the product winner of the ‘Satu Daerah Satu Industri’ (SDSI) Award, and in 2018, I won the same award for the whole country. Later, I received a business award in Selangor.”

“I felt honored as this came with how to modernise traditional dried black pepper extract for medicinal use.”

Pak Nai said his product is registered and endorsed by the Ministry of Health and registered as trademark products.

He shared that he uses other extracts and essential oils apart from black pepper.

He cited that one of his products, Pak Nai Massage Oil, uses black pepper extract, bidara essence, clove flower essence, kaffir lime essence, fragrant lemongrass essence, olive, and sunflower oil.

“In 2023, a Canadian delegate presented a working paper at the Herbal International Convention in Cochin, India. The paper stated that Sarawak pepper is the best in the world.”

“I was one of the delegates from Malaysia sent by the Malaysia Pepper Board to attend the convention and was glad to hear the information,” he revealed.

Pak Nai said he is looking forward to 2025 to have more acceptance in Indonesia and is making a product to suit the locals there.

“It has been a long journey. I should be retiring, but I love doing it. I do not sit in the office and prefer to face my customers, so I am still by a street corner or shopping mall despite having a shop.

“Without hard work and assistance from the Sarawak Economic Development Corporation (SEDC), MPB, and Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA), my dream would not have been achieved.

Pak Nai said he is willing to share and assist any entrepreneur in any business setup and what to do to establish themselves.

Pak Nai’s cottage products range between RM10 and RM50 and are available at JK & Marketing, Plaza Astana Petra Jaya.

For more information, call 014-880-8909. — DayakDaily