As the owner of CK Rahim, a chain of nine shops which specialises in kebaya brooches, buttons for baju Melayu and a collection of ladies’ accessories, Rahim, 49 would have an inexhaustible supply of resources to outshine everyone.
To prove it, Rahim quickly adorned himself for this shoot by ringing all ten of his fingers and aggrandising a plain baju melayu top with the flashiest and largest pastiches he could find in his shop.
Classic: A kebaya kerongsang. There were plenty of titters especially from his wife, Aripah Yahaya, 49, who holds a 49% stake in the business and some of his female customers could not help commenting that `a groom had just arrived’ and that he must have `quite a number of marriage engagements’ owing to the many rings he wore.
Unperturbed, Rahim insisted that a merchant of precious stones, albeit his are all faux jewels, should dress as such.
“Some people ask why wear accessories but look at the effect! When I was in a plain shirt earlier, no one took notice of me.
“Now that I am all decked out in my shiny brooches, look at the attention I am getting,” pointed out Rahim playfully.
The CK Rahim brand may not be a familiar one to mall shoppers but those who frequent the Jalan Masjid India, Kuala Lumpur, area for its myriad variety of ethnic knick knacks will know it at once.
“Many people have asked what CK stands for in the CK Rahim chain of accessory shops. For one, it’s actually a short form for’cikgu’ which was my former profession.
“On the other hand, you can take it as an acronym for ‘Cepat Kaya’ (get rich quick),” said Rahim in jest.
It is hard not to like this sporting former school teacher but light banter aside, Rahim proved that he does have his serious moments.
From his account, Rahim, who hails from Kampung Air Suda in Grik, Perak, recalled how he had started life as a teacher before becoming a businessman.
“Having come from a small ‘kampung’, I have always viewed the teaching profession as a noble and honourable calling.
The queen and princess of bling: Aripah, Rahim’s wife decking their daughter, Irra, with all things nice and shiny. “The title of ‘cikgu’ to me was higher than any other accolade because it meant that one had to shoulder the responsibility of imparting knowledge to the young,” said Rahim.
His last posting was in SMK Taman Maluri in 2001 where he taught Geography and other arts subjects for nine years before a brief transfer to SM Mirharja.
So what made this dedicated teacher quit?
Hesitantly, he would cite reasons of demotivation as the main cause. And so, rather than run the risk of passing his disinterest to his students, he decided that the best recourse was to quit.
“You know, when I started at the morning market, my stall was only about the size of this office table. I thought that selling ladies’ accessories would be ideal because I couldn’t bake or cook,” said Rahim giving his little laugh.
Seven years and nine shops later, Rahim is able to look back at those days and laugh at how he transported his wares to his small stall in his old Proton.
Today, he gets his goods directly from the factory thanks to a partnership he struck with a Taiwanese businessman while he was still operating from the morning markets.
And gone are the days when he has to persuade his customers into giving him a sale. Rahim leaves that to his sales assistants as he shifts priorities to minding stock levels in his stores which he does so with the help of a CCTV system. His sales pitching days for now are only reserved for the big buyers with no less than RM 300,000 to spare. However, there are still traces of the ‘cikgu’ in this self made entrepreneur.
“People ask me how I gathered the guts to open up nine shops and to entrust the collection of cash to my staff.
King of bling: CK Rahim’s name twinkles bright in the Masjid India area. “For me, I treat my staff like my students. I believe that if I give them the trust, they will carry out their responsibilities,” said Rahim.
But amidst the twinkle of CK Rahim’s glamourous baubles, it would be Nur Irra Syahiddah, 14, Rahim’s only child who would win the honour of being the brightest stone in her father’s eyes.
True, Rahim and his wife had to leave her alone with the maid during the struggling years but today, they are able to shower her with the best.
“She has gone to Japan and Australia for student exchange programmes and to have anything her heart desires as long as she continues to prove that she has been a good student,” said Rahim.
He also added that he would be doing her great injustice by just giving in to her wishes without demanding any effort from her part.
“If you are just in the position to receive, you are like a dead person. This will not be good for your self esteem which needs the constant reassurance of achievement,” said Rahim.
In finality, while some of the faux jewellery in CK Rahim’s shop may lose its glimmer after some time, it looks like these words from The King of Bling to his empire’s future heir will continue to glow in her mind for a long while to come.
CK Rahim is located at 92, Jalan Masjid India and 157, Lorong Tuanku Abdul Rahman, 50100, KL. Tel: 019-3478 659 and 019-353 4516.
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