Johor Polls Bring Windfall For Pak Ajes As Coffee Orders Surge
By Kamarul Halim M Kamal
BATU PAHAT, July 7 (Bernama) -- As candidates and campaign teams for the 16th Johor state polls make their rounds from one location to another, a coffee entrepreneur in Kampung Parit Sidek, Semerah, is enjoying brisk business as orders surge throughout the election season.
For Aziz Mohd, 65, better known as Pak Ajes, the excitement of the election campaign has brought a windfall to the coffee business he has built over more than three decades.
The chairman of Aziz Coffee Trading said he has had to double production to meet customer demand, particularly from campaign workers and election machinery in several state constituencies (DUN), including Semerah, Sungai Balang and Bukit Naning.
“I’m grateful for the election windfall as it doesn’t come often. My son and I made early preparations after being contacted in advance by several parties from the candidates’ side.
“We even had to source coffee beans from as far as Rengit, and some from Kluang, to cope with the high demand. Alhamdulillah, everything has gone smoothly so far,” he told Bernama.
He said his journey into the coffee business began in 1991 after noticing an excess supply of coffee beans in a nearby village, which were initially processed for personal use and to help acquaintances running beverage stalls.
Before opening a coffee bean processing factory, Aziz focused on quail farming for egg production and mushroom cultivation, which he sold to suppliers or at nearby markets.
“With about RM200 in capital from selling quail eggs and mushrooms, I started selling coffee powder based on customer demand, beginning with 100-gram packets.
“Now, we can produce 1,500 packets of coffee powder daily from Liberica, Robusta and Arabica beans, with markets reaching Singapore, Brunei, Sabah and Sarawak,” he said, adding that the business is now the family’s main source of income.
He said the business, which started on a small scale, now produces over five tonnes of coffee powder monthly, and regularly supplies several coffee shops around Muar and Batu Pahat.
Sharing about the production of coffee powder, Aziz said it requires patience and meticulous attention at every stage, from separating the beans from their stems and husks, to sun-drying for about 15 days, followed by roasting, grinding and packaging.
“Packaging also requires great care because the coffee powder can easily spill and must not be exposed to air for too long to maintain its quality, as it can harden and clump,” he said.
To further expand the business, Aziz opened Kupi Nang Ajes Cafe in front of his house in 2022 with the help of his son, Muhammad Fitri, 22. The café offers a variety of coffee, including Americano and latte, at very affordable ‘kampung’ prices.
“My son and I hope to open a second outlet in a hotspot area, either in Batu Pahat town or Muar, and we also aspire to have branches in every state,” he said.
He also expressed appreciation to the Department of Agriculture for supporting his business through the contribution of equipment such as a coffee grinder, coffee bagging machine, and courses on packaging and product labelling.
The 16th Johor state election sees 172 candidates contesting 56 state seats, with polling set for this Saturday.
For the latest updates, visit https://prn.bernama.com/johor.
-- BERNAMA
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