Despite only having SPM qualifications, the 41-year-old now owns 20 barber shops, a gelato stand, a pickled fruit stall, and – just two years ago – a chicken farm.

Budding and seasoned entrepreneurs like Packiyanathan are being celebrated at the National Entrepreneurship Week (MUN), which also aims to further their growth as businessmen by strengthening their knowledge and skills.

Organised by the entrepreneur development and cooperatives ministry, MUN also seeks to increase the number of quality, competitive and resilient Malaysian entrepreneurs in facing the challenging economic climate.

Like most entrepreneurs, Packiyanathan had humble beginnings. Hailing from Mentakab, Pahang, he grew up watching his late grandfather and father cut hair for a living. His father died when he was only 15.

He stayed in school while learning the barbering ropes from his uncles during the holidays. After completing secondary school, he went to Singapore where he worked as a barber for two years.

He then returned to Malaysia and worked in his uncle’s barber shop in Klang, but was involved in a bad accident while returning to Mentakab during the holiday season.

The accident left him with a crushed kneecap and his left leg shorter than the other. He was put on bed rest for three years and he underwent surgery on his leg 11 times.

“After I recovered, I couldn’t do any other work because I couldn’t stand for long. So I went back to the one skill I had – barbering. I worked at my cousin’s shop.

“With the help of a cane, I would cut hair at his shop. Sometimes I had five to seven customers, then my leg would get swollen, so I would have to sit,” he told FMT.

With the help of his family, particularly his eldest brother, he eventually set up his own shop. He looked for a place to rent, and budding barbers to train.

It was then that he took a RM10,000 loan from Tekun Nasional to finance his business. Response was good and he decided to upgrade and modernise the shop.

As time went on, he opened up more branches and went back to Tekun to secure several more loans to open more shops, while training and hiring Mentakab boys as barbers. Slowly but surely, his business grew.

After multiple trips to Kuala Lumpur and seeing the different ice-cream franchises that mushroomed around the city, Packiyanathan decided to open an ice-cream stand in a shopping mall in Mentakab, selling Italian gelato.

At about the same time in 2013, he ventured into the pickled fruit business after learning about its popularity in Penang. He took further loans for these new ventures into the food and beverage industry.

In 2014, his first major hurdle as an entrepreneur came after Mentakab was hit by massive floods. All seven of his barber shops were badly affected and Packiyanathan was in despair.

“I didn’t know what to do, I was in a state of panic. But, thankfully, Tekun came to my aid again. They gave me a grant immediately, which I received in three weeks. That helped to repair the shops and redo everything.”

After three years, Packiyanathan was able to open more branches. But then came the Covid-19 pandemic, leaving him without a source of income.

He kept paying the rent and the salaries for his staff, noting that some of his barbers had been with him for more than 10 years. He even took loans to pay for his expenses.

It was amid the pandemic that he explored the chicken-rearing business, picking up the ins and outs from a friend in the industry. “I had nothing to do, so I went to learn.”

In a short span of time, Packiyanathan learned about feed, the types of coops, and even the fact that chickens could cough. After selling off some personal belongings, he gathered enough funds to hire workers and start a small-time coop.

In a month, he saw the fruits of his labour. Profits earned were pumped back into this venture, seeing as the lockdowns had left his barber and food and beverage shops closed for a long time.

After these sectors reopened last year, floods wreaked havoc again in Mentakab in late 2021, stretching to January this year. Nine of his 20 barber shops were hit, but Tekun gave some relief by issuing grants to affected entrepreneurs.

“The past two years have been the worst for businesses. But thankfully, now, all four businesses are running smoothly. I’ve been able to cover my expenses and repay my debts, so I’m stable now,” he said with gratitude.

“Tekun has been the one that has helped me a lot in my journey. When I was in a panic, they helped me get back on my feet and helped me learn a lot about being an entrepreneur,” said the father of three.

Besides Tekun Nasional, the entrepreneur development and cooperatives ministry offers various programmes and initiatives through its other agencies in accordance with business needs.

The national MUN celebrations are held from June 24 to June 27 at the Malaysia Grand Bazaar (MGB) @ Lalaport in the Bukit Bintang City Centre, with up to 20,000 visitors expected over the four days.

The ministry also expects about RM10 million worth in sales and business matchmaking potential to be achieved through MUN, as Putrajaya seeks to celebrate and champion the contributions of entrepreneurs to the nation.