Elderly man does not let disability stand his way of making origami craft to earn a living

TANAH MERAH - Mohd Zain Dollah, 73, is a person with disabilities (PwD) but has not let his impairment stand in the way of making origami crafts to earn an income.

From Kampung Bukit Kechik here, Mohd Zain who has deformed hands and feet since birth, can produce 10 swan-shaped origami in a day.

"I have been doing origami for the past 10 years after being taught by one of my children, Nur Fatehah, who now lives in Perak,” he said.

He said although it was a difficult hobby to take up, considering it takes much focus and is time-consuming, he managed to take it seriously and turned it into a business.

"If I remember correctly, it took only a day for me to learn the art, and then I kept trying out various types of origami such as making baskets, egg containers and souvenirs such as flower vases," said the 1.2 metre-tall Mohd Zain to reporters.

He said that for the swan-shaped origami, the orders he receives are for egg containers which are handed out to wedding guests.

He said for the origami for flower vases, they are usually ordered by individuals as souvenirs or by government agencies as decorative pieces to be placed in the office.

"Each swan-shaped origami requires as many as four sheets of A4 paper which will be cut into small pieces using a small knife, and then folded and glued together.

"I sell these swan-shaped decorations for RM2 each and if the order exceeds 100, the price will be cheaper," said Mohd Zain, who also receives monthly assistance from the Social Welfare Department.

He said for the bigger baskets, he charges up to RM50 because each baseket requires more A4 papers and glue, and consumes more time.

He added that now he is working on an upcoming wedding order from a customer from Perak.

Mohd Zain, a widower with eight children, said that before venturing into the field of handicrafts, he was a wedding emcee. - BERNAMA