Leaving corporate life to carry on her mum’s kuih legacy

Yvonne Ho, a corporate professional, has decided to leave her high-paying job to continue her mother's legacy in selling traditional Malaysian kuih. Her mother, Wong How Yong, has been making and selling kuih for over 35 years, starting from a bicycle stall in Petaling Jaya Old Town and eventually building it into a well-known business called Madam Yong Delight.

Wong started by selling from a bicycle in the old town before moving to a stall in Pasar Besar Jalan Othman. Over time, the business expanded and was later certified halal. Ho's decision to leave corporate life came after witnessing her mother's exhaustion from the heavy workload, which she attributes to the lack of modern tools and resources available to her mother.

With a decade of experience in the corporate world, Ho took five years to understand the business before gradually introducing changes. She documented recipes and introduced better systems, while also respecting her mother's traditional methods. Their collaboration has brought them closer, and Ho hopes to continue this family business for generations to come.