Rise after the SME, business wing expanded to Miri

MIRI, 8 Oct: Starting with a small outlet in Bekenu after the COVID-19 pandemic, Shahril Sarkawi and his wife decided to rebuild their lives through food business close to Malaysian tastes.

Rather than just trying to sell the steamed fried chicken steamed rice in 2022, the venture is now expanding with the opening of the second branch of the Suyan Rice Coconut Chicken Steamed in Miri in January this year.

For Shahril, owner of Suyan Nasi Kukus, the decision to venture into the business was made after the school canteen company he had been working on before the pandemic had to be shut down.

"I used to be a school canteen operator for five years, but after the SME I had to retire.

"After that I asked my wife to open another business and we chose to sell steamed fried chicken steak", he said when recently interviewed by TVS.

The menu selection wasn't random.

According to Shahril, spicy fried chicken steamed rice is indeed popular in Peninsular Malaysia, but it is still not widely offered in Sarawak.

He saw the situation as an opportunity to introduce the food to more customers in the state.

"In many of the menus we tried, we chose steamed rice because there were not many people selling and not many who could make food that everyone could eat.

"So we chose steamed rice for our sale", he said.

The name Suyan has its own sentimental value.

Shahril said the name was taken from his grandmother's name, Hajah Yan, before being combined with the product name to form the identity of Suyan Nasi Kukus.

On the first day of operations at Bekenu, customer reception turned out to be unexpected when their sales were sold out.

From local customers, the business later began to attract customers from Miri, Bintulu and even Brunei.

"From the first day we opened in Bekenu, we were sold out.

"The reception has continued to this day and the customer base is growing. There are customers from Miri who are willing to come to Bekenu, some from Bintulu and others from Brunei", he said.

According to Shahril, demand from Miri's customers was among the main factors that led him to open a second branch in the city.

After four years of establishment in Bekenu, Suyan Rice Kukus now has two branches, each in Bekenu and Miri.

Although the steamed fried chicken steak is a well-known dish, Shahril believes Suyan has its own unique.

Among them is the use of shampoo-free shampoos that are specially made to be enjoyed by customers who can't or don't like taking a shot.

In addition, the rice is also cooked steamed in a bowl instead of bulk using rice pots.

"We are unique in taste. Our shampoo doesn't use a straw because there are some people who can't eat a straw.

"We're trying to keep the sambal from getting wet, but it's still delicious. Curry is one of the favorite dishes and our rice is cooked steamed in a bowl", he said.

In spite of the business development, Shahril's journey as an entrepreneur was not without its challenges.

He said the increase in commodity prices was one of the main challenges to be faced, besides the greater capital costs for opening premises in Miri city.

"After COVID-19 most people fell. I got up and asked my wife to open another business.

"Our challenge is economic, especially the price increase. In Bekenu we are stable, but when it opens in Miri, the environment for doing business in the city is more challenging", he said.

However, Shahril's years of business management experience in Bekenu helped her adjust to the new challenges at Miri.

As a member of the Sarawak Youth Entrepreneurs' Council (DUBS) for six years, he also acknowledged that the network and entrepreneurial knowledge acquired through the organization helped him in his business journey.

According to Shahril, DUBS not only helped in terms of company registration but also opened up space for him to network with other entrepreneurs.

"DUBS has been very helpful to me in terms of company registration. Before I registered a company using this address, I used DUBS.

"Our chairman has also been very helpful in terms of networking and the company registration process. So from the beginning of Suyan, DUBS has been very helpful", he said.

Apart from DUBS, Shahril also attended a programme with the National Institute of Entrepreneurial Skills (INSCAN) for four years and completed his studies last year.

For him, acquired knowledge and networking were among the important assets in growing a business.

"As an entrepreneur, it's great to work with DUBS because it helps a lot in terms of science and networking.

"Networking is very important and I myself have been with INSCAN for four years and graduated last year", he said.

Now, Shahril's efforts are not just to keep the two branches of Rice Cuckoo Suyan growing.

He also built a central kitchen in Miri to ensure the quality of food in both branches remained consistent.

The central kitchen served as a place to prepare chicken, curry broth and sambal before being shipped to Bekenu and Miri branches.

"This Central Kitchen is the result of my training with INSCAN. Here we process all the chicken, curry broth and sambal.

"So for Bekenu and Miri, it feels the same because I'm keeping quality through Central Kitchen", she said.

For the next step, Shahril targets halal certification as one of the key agendas in strengthening his business.

At the same time, he also saw potential to develop Suyan products in packaging form, including sambal and frozen cold-spangled chicken.

He said the demand itself came from customers who wanted to bring Suyan's products back out of the area.

"I was planning to take a halal certificate, but there's still a long way to go to arrange the store SOP and all the accessories.

"Also, I want to grow the business through packaging, maybe sambal in packs or bottles and also frozen spicy chicken", he said.

According to him, there are customers from Kuching who order frozen cold products because it is difficult to bring home cooked food.

"There are customers from Kuching who want to bring back food for the family. They order frozen and some bring frozen chicken, sambal and curry broth back to Kuching so that their family members can feel the Cuckoo Rice Suyan", he said.

For customers, the sense of being one of the main factors that drove them back to the premises.

Haziq Salim, 31, said curry broth and fried chicken are among his favorite dishes at the Suyan Rice Kukus.

Haziq Salim. TVS photos

"I like to eat here because the broth is delicious. The fried chicken is good too.

"Every week we would come here to eat with our wives", he said.

For 56-year-old Safiah Julaihi, however, the rich taste of chicken with spices and brilliant texture is one of her frequent visits.

You literally got it. TVS photos

He said he learned about the Cooking Rice Suyan through his son who once enjoyed it at Bekenu.

"What makes it unique is probably the chicken and the fried ones. There's fine fried chili and lots of spices, so it tastes good", she said.

With the two branches now operating, Shahril hopes Suyan Nasi Kukus can continue to grow as economic conditions improve.

At the same time, he hoped more entrepreneurs would join DUBS to share experiences and find solutions to business challenges.

"I hope more members sign up with DUBS so that we can both talk and discuss the business issues at Miri.

"I hope DUBS remains strong to help entrepreneurs in Miri and for the future, I hope my business continues to grow and our economy improves", he said.

From a small outlet in Bekenu to two branches and a central kitchen in Miri, the journey of Suyan Nasi Kukus reflects how small enterprises can thrive when opportunity, knowledge and courage are combined with determination to rise up after challenges. - TVS