Her brand, Lyla Rose, offers a variety of batik items – bags, pocket squares, bandannas, scrunchies and more – each one a show of resilience.
“For me, my business is a symbol of strength. The challenges I’ve faced – from being injured in an accident to receiving a cancer diagnosis – won’t stop me from moving forward,” Mawar, 49, told FMT Lifestyle.
In 2016, while visiting her husband’s family in Thailand, Mawar fell asleep at the wheel, crashing her vehicle into a motorcycle, a 4×4 pickup truck and an electric pole. Her son and daughter were with her at the time.
“The ligaments in my right knee were torn, and my right thigh bone was shattered. My hip bone was also fractured,” she recalled.
Mawar was rushed to hospital and underwent surgery later that night. Her recovery was long and painful – and it took her almost two years to regain full mobility.
The accident, she shared, left her right leg shorter than her left. “Until today, I can’t walk long distances or sit on the floor,” the mother of three said.
It was during the long recovery period that she discovered the therapeutic power of sewing. “I wanted to take my mind off my condition, so I sewed to find some peace.”
But her trials were far from over. In 2018, she was diagnosed with endometrial cancer, and underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy with bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy – a procedure in which her uterus, cervix, fallopian tubes and ovaries were removed.
Radiotherapy and vaginal vault brachytherapy, a type of internal radiation treatment, followed.
“It was a very challenging time. I thought that once I could walk again, I would be able to drive my children to school and clean the house. But then I was diagnosed with cancer – and the treatments drained my energy,” she recalled.
Throughout this period, sewing remained her refuge. She made pencil cases, tote bags and pouches for her children. She even presented them as gifts to loved ones.
Her handicrafts soon caught the attention of her children’s friends and teachers, who began placing orders. Encouraged, she posted photos of her crafts on Facebook – and the orders kept pouring in.
In 2022, she branded her business venture Lyla Rose, swapping cotton for local batik as she wished to create beautiful pieces with the traditional textile.
A meaningful milestone came in 2023 when Mawar bagged second place in “SAY LEAD”, a competition for entrepreneurs with disabilities.
The next year, her business took a major step forward when she joined the Khadijah Artisans Mentoring Programme (KAMP).
The programme, a collaboration between Khadijah International Waqf (L) Foundation and Persatuan Pembangunan Artisans (PPA), offers craftswomen from low-income backgrounds the guidance they need to succeed, and the support they need to widen their distribution channels.
Having graduated in September, Mawar said that she is grateful for the knowledge and support she gained from the programme.
“I learned how to set the right prices for my products and package them more attractively,” she said. Today, her products are available at PPA’s outlets in Berjaya Times Square and Tokyo Street in Pavilion KL.
And what does the future hold? “I plan to set up a community centre to train people with disabilities and individuals from the B40 group to make batik products. I also hope to hire them whenever I receive large orders.”
To women entrepreneurs with disabilities, Mawar had this to say: “Discrimination is something we will face. But we must be stronger than those without disabilities. If they put in 100% effort, we must give 200%. Keep going.”
To purchase Mawar’s products, send a WhatsApp message to 010-275 8008. Follow Lyla Rose on Facebook and Instagram.
Read more about the Khadijah Artisans Mentoring Programme and its artisans here.