PETALING JAYA, Sept 5 — "Abang Milo” Mohd Rashid Abdul Wahab and Noorhisham Ghazali have a combined 53 years of experience serving out the popular beverage from trucks to waiting kids and adults alike.
The duo, who have been working together for many years, however, have an extra special bond.
By way of fate, Noorhisham met Mohd Rashid’s daughter and they ended up getting married.
"It was a very proud and memorable moment for both of us, we always enjoyed working together and we made a pretty good team,” said Noorhisham.
He added that he used to think that Mohd Rashid was "torturing” him (like any father-in-law would) by making him clean the windows, tyres and even roof of their Milo truck meticulously.
It was only later that he realised that he was only trying to push him into becoming a better Field Promotion Officer (FPO).
FPO is the official name given to the now iconic "Abang Milo” throughout the country.
There are currently 84 "Abang Milo” nationwide manning 42 trucks.
"I think he treats me much better now, especially since my wife and I have given him three loving grandchildren,” added Noorhisham.
Noorhisham, better known as "Sham”, has been serving Milo for 21 years, and often reminisces about his childhood experiences with Milo while on the job.
Noorshisham, 43, has worked with Nestle as an FPO for the past 21 years since 1998, when he even got the chance to serve the beverage at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur.
"I think why people love it so much is because we all grew up with Milo and have fond memories of the times when the Milo trucks used to come to our schools,” he added.
He has since served Milo all over Malaysia having been stationed at numerous states like Kedah, Perlis, Penang, Johor and Selangor, and his colleagues consider him to be the most experienced FPO at Nestle.
With his vast experience, Noorhisham shared on what it’s like to be an "Abang Milo” and how they prepare themselves before visiting schools and organisations, apart from sporting events.
Sham’s tricked out Milo truck, which has evolved over the years and now has some eye-catching new features like a display set, LED flat screen and Xbox Kinect.
"We primarily cover sporting events, because of our brand’s association with sports, but where ever there is a school, hospital or sporting event, there will be Milo,” said Sham.
"Usually we will get in touch with schools, and coordinate with them on how many students, teachers and staff they have, so we can ready the right amount of Milo.”
He added that each truck can provide a maximum of 5,000 cups of Milo, provided that they have enough water to make it.
Noorhisham puts this down to the possibility that older students sometimes used various "techniques” to try and get more than their fair share of Milo.
"We see all kinds of things. At first, they will come to get a cup, then they will come back wearing spectacles, and a third time with a songkok on,” he said.
Milo is his life
Sham and Mohd Rashid were partners for five years, before Sham married his daughter and was later transferred to a different location.
Mohd, 64, retired in 2010, but his life still revolves around Milo as he currently runs a hawker stall at a night market in Manjung, Perak—serving...Milo.
"About six months after I retired, my wife asked me what our future plan would be, and I said why not we try to sell Milo?” he said.
His wife, shocked asked him:
"‘Aren’t you tired of Milo by now?’, but I never will be.”
Mohd Rashid, who has 31 years of experience under his belt, said that there was no "secret ingredient” that makes the truck’s beverage any tastier than the rest.
The formula is the same as that of the Milo packs and cans.
"The reason why people say it’s the best is because of the two F’s, the first "F” is because of the formula, and the second is because it is free,” he jokingly said.
Mohd Rashid said that he used to drink Milo every day while on the job, because he just can’t get enough of it.
When coaxed on sharing some of the preparation tips to get a perfect-tasting cup of drink, Mohd Rashid said:
"You can just use the 3 in 1 packet, and mix it with 200 millilitres of warm water.”
"The water has to be the same kind of temperature that you’d use to make a baby’s bottle of milk. Any hotter and the Milo will turn black.”
PSA: If you really need to have your fill from the Milo vans, they will be deployed nationwide on September 16 to distribute it for free in celebration of Malaysia Day.
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