PETALING JAYA, May 12 — Malaysian entrepreneur Nazim Nasri could hardly believe it when he got an order for his mum’s pineapple tarts from none other than Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 2019.
So imagine his surprise when the former prime minister put in a second order for the sweet and buttery Hari Raya staple recently.
In a video posted to Oh Mak Kita’s Instagram page, Nazim shared how he was invited to Dr Mahathir’s office to deliver the pineapple tarts to him in person.
The clip, which was filmed last week before the third movement control order, shows Nazim preparing a Hari Raya greeting card for Dr Mahathir and his wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali while travelling to Putrajaya.
Nazim, 28, included a caption saying he was “so nervous” about meeting the Langkawi MP in person.
“Alhamdulillah in 2021, we were blessed to be able to hand over pineapple tarts and other kuih raya (Raya cookies) from Oh Mak Kita to Tun M.
“It’s not easy to get a rare chance like this. (Tun M is) a world-renowned leader who is willing to support small businesses like us,” he wrote.
He ended the video with a photo of him and Dr Mahathir posing with the cookies which were homemade by Nazim’s mother Mira Kassim.
Nazim told mStar that he never imagined he would get a repeat order from the 95-year-old politician.
“This is the second time Tun has ordered kuih from me. The first time was in 2019.
“Back then, I could only pass it to his officials. This time, his officials said I could hand it to him in person if I wanted to.
“The meeting was brief, I just handed it over and took a photo with him. At the time, Tun was rushing because he had just finished a meeting,” said Nazim.
The young entrepreneur was humbled that his mum’s homemade cookies managed to catch the attention of a Malaysian icon like Dr Mahathir.
He started the Oh Mak Kita business as a side hustle in 2019 and said that all of the treats are handmade by his mum and siblings.
His mother’s pineapple tarts started to gain popularity after fashion designer Datuk Rizalman Ibrahim invited Nazim to set up a stall during his garage sales.
Since then, several celebrities have put in orders, including actress Mira Filzah, singer Fazura, and fashion designer Rico Rinaldi.
Nazim clarified that he does not send free products to influencers and that all his famous customers, including Dr Mahathir, have bought the treats with their own money.
He added that Oh Mak Kita saw a surge in orders after his video with the ex-premier went viral.
