By day, I worked at the ministry. Outside office hours, I went from house to house giving tuition to make ends meet.
My Life Journey • Episode 11
My late father wanted me to work for the government so that I would have a more secure future.
Praise be to God, that hope came true when I was accepted into service at the Ministry of Housing and Local Government.
At the time, I was still single and living in Damansara.
I had a permanent job, but with a modest salary, I needed to find a way to support myself in Kuala Lumpur.
Some of you may understand that situation.
People know we have a job. A salary comes in every month. But only we know how carefully that money has to be divided to last until the next month.
I earned extra income by giving tuition from house to house.
For a year, that was part of my life as a bachelor.
At the office, I helped with project matters. Outside office hours, I used my teaching skills to supplement my income.
Looking back on that time, I think:
“I have been given the chance to work on land and be close to my family. Now I need to learn how to build a life with the income I have.”
I believe many people have been through a stage like this.
After coming home from one job, there are still other responsibilities waiting. Some take food orders, sew, run a small business or teach, as I once did.
Sometimes we meet them when they are tired. We may not realise that their working day hasn’t really ended yet.
That experience taught me to have greater respect for the effort people put into earning a living.
We don’t know what needs they are trying to meet or what responsibilities they are carrying.
For me, tuition was an opportunity I could pursue at the time. I used the skills I had to help support myself.
From that experience, there is one question we can consider when money feels tight:
“What can I do that would help others and earn me an income?”
The answer is different for everyone.
Start with your own abilities. Also consider the time, cost and energy involved, so that you can sustain the extra work without neglecting your main job or your health.
Back then, I didn’t know that I would one day lead a company of my own.
I was simply trying to make ends meet while fulfilling my responsibilities as a government employee.
Today, I still treasure those memories of teaching from house to house.
They remind me what it feels like to need extra income even when you already have a permanent job.
If you are going through the same thing, don’t be ashamed of your efforts. Every job done well has value.
In the next stage of my journey, I began building a family.
I got married with the help of a government cooperative loan. Then I tried buying fabric in Masjid India and selling it to my colleagues at the office.
That began another experience of learning to earn a living, this time through a small business.
I’ll continue that story in Episode 12.
What was the first side job you ever did? What memory of it stays with you most today?
— PMr. Mohd Hawarie Bin Tan Muzi
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