By Norhayati Mohd Akhir

SEPANG: Driven by the desire to venture into a different field, Zain ‘Aliuddin Zain Alabiddin finally decided to leave his career as a design engineer to go into the field of broiler rabbit farming to produce his signature dish, rendang arnab.

Shortly after quitting, Zain ‘Aliuddin enrolled in a broiler rabbit breeding course run by the largest rabbit supplier, KM Barokah, in Klang in March 2021.

This, he said was to equip himself with the knowledge and know-how in animal husbandry and register his ZNDD Rabbit Farm business with the Veterinary Services Department.

Using his own savings as well as financial assistance from immediate family members of RM20,000, the 32-year-old Zain ‘Aliuddin started to build rabbit cages at his home in Kampung Hulu Teris here.

“The first two months I raised the New Zealand broiler rabbit did not bring any results because I was new to the business and lacked the experience. However, after a few months, my livestock was getting better and healthier,” he said.

Now owning almost 300 rabbits, he said that looking after the rabbits is easy compared with other livestock and he allocates about RM800 a month for food pellets.

To ensure the business runs smoothly, Zain ‘Aliuddin divides the business into two.

He manages the rabbit breeding as well as handling the slaughtering process and preparing the rabbit rendang ingredients, while the cooking process is managed entirely by his wife, Nadwatul Khodijah Mohd Misban, 33.

Once the rabbit is processed, it will be cooked for about two hours with the rendang paste that has been pre-cooked for three hours using ingredients including ginger, lemongrass, galangal and dried chillies.

“Rabbit meat tastes different compared with chicken or beef. When it is cooked in paste, it gives the meat a sweet taste. This is acknowledged by meat lovers,” he said.

It seems that the rabbit meat has its own followers and has been gaining popularity since Zain ‘Aliuddin and his wife started the business from a car boot in March 2022 at Bagan Lalang.

He also uses social media platforms such as Facebook to market his rendang arnab products under the brand name ‘Uncle Zain’ Rendang Arnab, which is priced at RM23 for every 300 grammes.

“We also sell the frozen Rendang Arnab,” said the entrepreneur who is now able to generate income between RM3,000 and RM5,000 a month from the business.

Zain ‘Aliuddin, who has plans to supply fresh rabbit meat, said he had applied for financial assistance under the Selangor Poverty Eradication Blueprint Assistance for the purchase of freezers for the purpose.

He had also made Employees Provident Fund (EPF) withdrawals and intends to use the fund to expand his business. – Bernama