The rojak sauce that brought her home

Shazana Mahazir returned to her hometown of Kedah in 2020 to take over and revive the family business, Kuah Rojak Mak Bee, after leaving her corporate job in Kuala Lumpur. The business, founded by her late grandmother, Bibi Abdullah, dates back to 1980. Shazana, now 40, carries on her grandmother's legacy, maintaining the importance of family values in her decisions.

Despite inheriting a well-known Kedah brand from her grandmother, the business faced challenges when counterfeit products, with packaging similar to the original, began flooding the market. This led to a significant drop in sales. Instead of fighting legal battles, Shazana chose a unique approach. In 2024, she revamped the packaging of Mak Bee's sauce to distinguish it from counterfeit products.

To regain customer confidence, she embarked on a nationwide roadshow, driving a van herself with two employees and delivering the sauce directly to customers. Within three months, sales started recovering, with the van's cargo occasionally selling out, forcing Shazana to make additional deliveries. A customer's revelation about the sauce's broader culinary uses and the misuse of its tax classification led to a review by the customs department, resulting in a zero-rated tax status.

Despite the business's expansion into various ventures and ambitions in the overseas market, Shazana remains committed to her grandmother's values. She welcomes anyone interested in selling Mak Bee products, following her grandmother's advice to share blessings with the community. Shazana concludes that determination to overcome challenges and continuous learning are the keys to success in business.