KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 9 — From the open sea to a jar of Sambal Nyet Bilis, the story behind Khairul Aming’s sambal offers a glimpse into the often-unseen work of fishermen who supply an ingredient that is a staple of Malaysian life.

For 33-year-old entrepreneur and influencer Khairul Amin Kamaruzaman, his latest product goes beyond adding a new variation to the Sambal Nyet brand. It also offers an opportunity to highlight the contribution and sacrifices of fishermen who work to bring seafood such as anchovies to Malaysians, for whom they are a familiar comfort food.

He said working alongside fishermen at sea in Setiu, Terengganu, as part of the product’s research and development (R&D) process gave him a deeper appreciation of anchovies, an ingredient he had previously considered commonplace.

“After I shared a video showing how difficult it is to catch anchovies, people commented that they would never throw them away when eating. This shows that they are beginning to value anchovies more.

“It takes a great deal of effort. I went out to sea with the fishermen because I wanted to learn and understand the challenges they face in catching anchovies,” he told Bernama.

Speaking after the Sambal Nyet Bilis launch on TikTok Shop on Friday night, he said 150,000 bottles sold out in just one minute and 54 seconds during the livestream from Level 118 of Menara Merdeka Maybank, setting a new record for him.

The sale also set several new milestones for Khairul Aming, including his highest sales in a single livestream at RM3.5 million, a record peak audience of 388,000 viewers for a TikTok Shop livestream, and the launch of a product from the highest location in Malaysia.

Behind the record-breaking figures, however, was a six-month production process, two months of content creation and more than a month of preparations for the launch.

“It took six months of R&D, about two months for production and video shoots, and more than a month to get ready for the launch. My team worked hard to make sure everything went smoothly. I’ve only been getting about two hours of sleep a night this week,” he said.

His time working directly with fishermen allowed him to see for himself how anchovies are caught at sea, an experience he said he wanted to reflect in the product so that consumers would appreciate not only its taste, but also the journey of the food from sea to table.

For Khairul Aming, the launch of Sambal Nyet Bilis also meant stepping outside his comfort zone and overcoming his fear of heights while making his way up the spire of Menara Merdeka Maybank.

Sambal Nyet Bilis is the second sambal product under his brand, following Sambal Nyet Berapi, which has been on the market for six years.

Khairul Aming admitted that launching a second product came with its own challenges, as his original sambal had already set high expectations among consumers.

Khairul Aming said developing a second sambal was challenging because Sambal Nyet Berapi had set high expectations among consumers, who naturally expected something different after six years without a new product.

The strong initial sales suggest Sambal Nyet Bilis has struck a chord, but Khairul Aming said its true test would be consumers’ feedback after they have had a chance to try it.

“It may have sold out, but the feedback is still to come. So, we have to be ready,” he said.

Beyond the sales records and spicy, umami taste, a jar of sambal carries a bigger story: the long journey of an everyday ingredient before it finally reaches the table. — Bernama