GEORGE TOWN – She was a saviour to her nephew, unwanted by his parents because they had him too young. She hustled for the boy and her family in Kuala Lumpur while they remained in Penang. She had a high-flying contract job as an information and communication technology (ICT) project manager to major telco companies, financial systems and enterprise resource planning (ERP) establishments.
As the kindergarten-going boy grew older, Sim Suan See found herself making weekly trips, taking the last flight out every Friday to Penang to spend quality time with him and jumping on the first flight back on Mondays.
It went on for a few years until her mother passed away.
At almost the same time, she underwent major surgery to remove a benign tumour in her brain.
With no one to turn to, her nephew came to visit her at the hospital every day. He stayed with her while she recuperated. That was when Sim knew she had to settle in Penang, for good.
Despite moving back, she knew she still had to bring in an income to care for her nephew, lock, stock and barrel. Sim also had to care for her health, too, after being diagnosed with diabetes and suffering a heart attack.
Unfortunately, there is no demand for an ICT project manager in Penang. She thought it brave to lower her salary expectations from five figures to RM8,000, but there were no takers. After trying to secure a few projects, she found herself doing short-term projects in KL until the first movement control order (MCO) was implemented.
As a contract worker, she was the first to be shown the door.
She could have asked for her nephew to go back to live with his parents and his two other siblings. During this time, her income was at zero, but she knew he didn’t want to, not when he knew that he was not loved or cared for by them.
Of course, she tried applying for other jobs, but no one wanted to hire a 65-year-old lady in her retirement years.
“Since the first MCO, I have not gotten any job, and at that time, many people were sewing face masks, and so I did it, too.
“Instead of just following the tutorials online, I innovated and created a mask that is quite unlike others seen in the Penang market. It is four-ply and made to fit without a nose bridge wire. I’ve never sewed anything before."
She started Sewly Yours Craft, showcasing hand-sewn batik masks. She then ventured to sew other items like bags, tissue pouches, scrunchies and more. She tried to get customers by word of mouth and via Facebook.
“I don’t have many customers, but I am thankful that I have supporters,” she said.
As the pandemic wore on, her life savings began to dwindle. There were his nephew’s school fees, bills, rental and medications that she had to pay.
Now, she is only sewing made-to-order projects.
“It does sound like I am selling premium goods since I only open made-to-order projects. But to tell you the truth, it is because I don’t have enough funds to buy additional material to sew, put up online and wait for people to buy.
“When my customers order, I’ll go and buy the material and start sewing. With the profit I get, I’ll buy more material.
“By doing this, I earn around RM1,000 a month, or a little more, depending on how many orders I get,” she said, adding that it is not enough to pay all her bills.
Her current landlord is kind enough to tell her that she only needs to pay for her rent after she gets a job, but she pushed to pay at least 50% every month.
“I know that even if I pay 50%, the other 50% rental will accumulate, and it has been accumulating.
“I am glad this month I managed to pay the month’s rental in full. But of course, there is still a lot that I have to look into, like electricity, water, and the Internet.
During this time, her nephew’s parents are of no help as they are focused on bringing up their two other children. At 17, he believes that his parents will not support him through to college, and Sim has lost the income to do so.
To Sim, he said: “I can take care of myself better than they (his parents) can take care of me.”
And so, Sim continues to sew, with hopes that she will grow her income so she can be free from the financial burdens that are holding her captive.
"I'm not asking for anything, but maybe for more people to see, order and buy my creations," she said.
Those who are interested to view her batik creations can head to Sewly Yours Craft on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/sewlyyourscraft. – The Vibes, May 25, 2021
