Khairul Aming’s Powerful Message : “Don’t Break the Wings of Someone Working Hard”

Entrepreneur and influencer Khairul Aming became emotional as he opened up about one of the most difficult periods of his life, a time when he struggled financially and could not even afford to help his own father.

But rather than allowing those difficult memories to define him, Khairul Aming turned them into a reason to build something bigger not just for himself, but for the people around him.

One of the messages he shared during the emotional moment was simple but powerful:

“Jangan patahkan sayap orang yang tengah kerja keras.” / “Don’t break the wings of someone who is working hard.”

His message is particularly relevant to business owners and those who have already achieved success. Behind every successful person or business, there could be years of tears, exhaustion, sacrifice, rejection and uncertainty that outsiders never see. Khairul Aming knows this personally.

He recalled one of the most painful moments of his life, when his late father fell ill and he did not have enough money to help him.

“I’m nobody’s child. My father is gone. Before he died, I had no money. I couldn’t even afford to buy medicine.”

“He asked for RM10 or RM20, but I couldn’t give him that at that time. I felt very helpless,” he recalled.

That experience stayed with him. When his business, Sambal Nyet, eventually began gaining popularity, Khairul Aming made a conscious decision about what he wanted to do with the money he earned.

Instead of immediately spending it on an expensive lifestyle, he chose to reinvest the money into his business.

“I don’t buy expensive cars; I don’t go on vacation. I ‘roll’ the money for the factory.”

What began with 30 workers eventually grew to 60 and later 100 employees, all from Kelantan. For Khairul Aming, the business was never only about building his own success.

It was also about creating opportunities for people in his hometown, particularly those who may not have the financial means or family circumstances to move to Kuala Lumpur in search of work.

And that is perhaps the bigger lesson behind his journey. A successful business does not only create wealth for its owner. It creates jobs, supports suppliers and vendors, gives opportunities to employees, keeps delivery partners and other businesses moving and serves customers. And it contributes to the wider economy through taxes and zakat.

Khairul Aming has also spoken about how he usually chooses not to respond to every criticism directed at him or his business. But when criticism crosses the line into slander, he believes he has a responsibility to set the record straight.

“I don’t really care, but if it’s leading to slander, I have to fix it.”

That sense of responsibility extends beyond his own business.

“I feel responsible for inspiring young people. If one day I am no more, at least I can leave behind one principle so that they don’t easily give in to people’s words and maintain ethics in earning a living,” he said. 

For aspiring entrepreneurs, perhaps his most important message is not about how to become successful. It is about what you do once you become successful. Do you use your success to make yourself look bigger or do you use it to create space for others to grow?

Do you discourage someone who is still struggling or give them a reason to keep going?

As Khairul Aming’s own journey shows, nobody sees the full story behind another person’s success.

So before judging someone’s salary, qualification, business size or current position, remember that they may simply be at the beginning of their journey. Sometimes, the person struggling today could be the one creating opportunities for hundreds tomorrow.

Source : Gempak 
Image Credit : entrepreneurinsight