For most drink stalls, the price of a cup is usually fixed.
But for 17-year-old Muhammad Zufar Azman from Pasir Gudang, Johor, his watermelon drink stall runs on a much simpler and more heartwarming concept — “bayar seikhlas hati”, or pay as sincerely as you can.
Located in front of his family home in Taman Air Biru, the stall has recently gone viral on TikTok, drawing attention not only for its refreshing drinks, but also for the inspiring story behind the young seller.
Customers can pay as low as 10 sen
Speaking to Harian Metro, Zufar, who is a student under the Special Education Integrated Programme (PPKI) at SMK Pasir Gudang 2, shared that his stall does not have a fixed price for each cup of watermelon drink.
Instead, customers are free to place any amount they can afford into a donation box provided at the stall.
According to Zufar, some customers have paid as little as 10 sen, while others have generously contributed much more.
Some pay as low as 10 sen, and there are also well-off customers who have paid up to RM100 because they wanted to support me,” he said.
Zufar added that he would even give the drinks for free to children who do not have money.
I believe that sustenance will always be there,” he said.
Started to help him live independently
According to his elder brother, 29-year-old Muhamad Rifai Azman, the idea to open the stall came from the family’s hope to help Zufar learn how to live more independently after finishing school.
As Zufar has difficulties calculating change, the “pay as sincerely as you can” concept makes it easier for him to manage the stall without the pressure of fixed pricing.
What started as a family-supported small business early last year has now grown steadily, especially after gaining attention online.
Due to the encouraging response, Zufar is now assisted by one full-time worker and three of his school friends, who help out part-time.
Sells up to 100 cups a day
The stall operates daily from 3pm to 7pm in front of the family’s home.
On average, Zufar sells around 50 to 100 cups of watermelon drink a day, with sales usually higher on Fridays thanks to contributions and support from the public.
His mother also monitors the stall’s operations while making sure Zufar takes his medication according to schedule.
Rifai said the family has noticed positive changes in Zufar since he began running the business.
My mother noticed that since he started selling drinks, Zufar’s communication skills have improved, and he has also started learning how to count.
“This progress means a lot to our family,” he told the Malay daily.
Family hopes society will give OKU individuals more chances
Beyond selling watermelon drinks, Zufar also has bigger dreams.
He hopes to expand the business in the future so that he can support his parents.
For his family, Zufar’s journey is more than just a viral story.
They hope it can encourage society to give more opportunities to people with disabilities to build their own path and live independently.
We hope Zufar’s story can open the eyes of the public to give other OKU individuals a chance to build an independent life,” Rifai said.
