Kien Fatt: a family legacy built on hard work and perseverance

Free Malaysia Today

Nestled in vibrant Petaling Street, this medical store has a rich history that dates back to 1942.    📍Kien Fatt Medical Store  59, Jalan Petaling,  50000 Kuala Lumpur   Business Hours:  9am - 4.30pm  (closed on Sundays)   Story by: Sheela Vijayan  Shot by: Fauzi Yunus  Presented by: Theevya Ragu  Edited by: Muhammad Akif Irfan   The additional footage used in this video are sourced from the public domain and is used in accordance with copyright guidelines.   Read More:  https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/01/31/kien-fatt-medical-store-serving-the-community-since-1942/   Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com  Follow FMT on Facebook: https://bit.ly/49JJoo5  Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM  Follow FMT on X: https://bit.ly/48zARSW  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48Cq76h  Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3uKuQFp  Follow FMT Berita on TikTok: https://bit.ly/48vpnQG  Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/42VyzMX  Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/42YytEb  Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/42WrsUj  Follow FMT on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/49GMbxW  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Download FMT News App:  Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46  App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ  Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP   #FMTLifestyle #CNY2025 #KienFattMedicalStore #YearOfTheSnake

Transcript

00:00In the heart of KL's bustling Chinatown lies Kin Fut Medical Store, a quaint family

00:17business that has stood the test of time for over eight decades.

00:22With Chinese New Year upon us, customers flock to purchase snow fungus and mushrooms, essential

00:28ingredients in many festive dishes.

00:32Mushrooms which symbolize longevity are an apt metaphor for Kin Fut Medical Store as

00:37they've been in business since 1942.

00:49My father came down to KL because there are more opportunity in KL and work as a shop

00:56assistant in one of the local Chinese medical shops in Petaling Street itself.

01:03When he saved some money, he resigned and started to sell medicine on the streets.

01:11Kian Poon continued to be thrifty, carefully saving enough to rent half of the shop that

01:17Kin Fut calls home today.

01:19He eventually bought the entire shop, laying the foundation for a lasting family legacy.

01:34Building on his father's foundation, Chee Yat studied pharmaceutical science and later

01:39with some work experience, started a pharmacy in their shop.

01:44He also helped his aging father run the business.

01:48Having also learnt about Chinese traditional medicine, he established a clinic in the shop

01:53to better serve their customers.

01:56As the business expanded, he made a conscious commitment to retain the shop's welcoming

02:01atmosphere, fostering close relationships with his customers.

02:07Everybody knows us, we know everybody here.

02:10Just now when you see us working here, you see a lot of people, our customers are like

02:15friends.

02:17Still, the business has experienced its fair share of ups and downs.

02:21Let's say about 40, 50 years ago, KL was very small.

02:26So everybody, if they want to buy something, they come to city centre, which is the place.

02:33So we were doing rolling business during that time.

02:37But KL was small at that time.

02:40But now, slowly, slowly, KL is getting bigger and there are more city centres around.

02:47So there are less people coming in.

02:49The business also took a beating during the pandemic, and that was when his daughter,

02:54Vanessa, stepped in.

03:04This business is a walk-in business, so there's no online sales there.

03:09So business has dropped drastically during the pandemic.

03:12Vanessa, a graphic designer, quit her full-time job, using her skills to help Kian Fatt navigate

03:19the challenging times.

03:21Understanding that digitisation is key to business growth, she started a website, as

03:26well as social media accounts, and capitalised on online sales platforms.

03:31Today, she explores ways to make their products more accessible for modern consumers.

03:37She is also learning the ropes of the business from her parents and senior employees.

03:43Family is central to those celebrating Chinese New Year.

03:47And as the Lunar New Year begins, Vanessa shares her hopes for her family's legacy.

03:53Still operates as it is, and hopefully I can extend as long as possible.

04:00Perseverance.

04:01This is what my father has taught me, no matter how challenging it is, you need to persevere

04:07and you really need to make sure it works.

04:11Whatever you do, do step by step, and hopefully it works.

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