Entrepreneur Noor Asmah Mohammed Mokhtar (left) established her chocolate brand, Chelum, under Roti Lafeez Enterprise.
KUCHING (Aug 13): A Sarawak-based chocolate brand built around local ingredients says its approach to business has fundamentally shifted since joining the Shell LiveWire entrepreneurship programme, moving away from a singular focus on sales volume towards profitability and scalability.
Entrepreneur Noor Asmah Mohammed Mokhtar established her chocolate brand, Chelum, under Roti Lafeez Enterprise.
Prior to joining the programme, the company’s focus was mainly on producing quality products and increasing sales. The bootcamp changed that.
“Through the bootcamp, I learned the importance of unit economics. Every product must generate sufficient profit after considering all costs such as ingredients, packaging, labour, logistics and marketing,” the founder said.
Noor Asmah said the programme also reinforced the point that rising sales figures mean little if profit margins remain too thin.
“Now, I make business decisions based on profitability, efficiency and scalability. This mindset has changed how I plan the future growth of Chelum,” she said.
During the programme’s evaluation process, Noor Asmah said judges pressed Chelum on its production capacity and how the business could scale while maintaining product quality. They also questioned how the company ensures consistent taste, given its reliance on local Sarawak ingredients.
“This made me realise that having a good product is not enough. We need proper standard operating procedures, quality control systems and production planning to support business expansion,” she said.
A broader view of what a food business needs to be
Exposure to entrepreneurs from technology and service industries during the programme also broadened the founder’s perspective on what running a modern food business requires.
“I realised that a food business is no longer only about making good food. It is also about using technology, data, branding, digital marketing and efficient business systems,” she said.
That realisation has shaped Chelum’s direction moving forward, with Noor Asmah saying the brand aims to combine traditional Sarawak ingredients with modern technology to become a stronger and more competitive player in the market.
Chelum’s immediate priority is strengthening its production infrastructure, including improving packaging, inventory management and quality assurance systems to keep products fresh during transportation across Sarawak.
The company is also working to improve production efficiency and implement stronger food safety practices to support wider distribution.
Touching on expansion, Chelum’s immediate growth plans involve entering the Miri, Sibu and Bintulu markets through supermarkets, airports, tourist outlets and corporate customers, while simultaneously strengthening its online sales channels to reach customers across Malaysia.
Alongside operational upgrades, Noor Asmah underscored Roti Lafeez Enterprise’s focus on strengthening Chelum’s packaging, branding and food certifications, including maintaining and enhancing its halal certification and MeSTI compliance, as well as refining its product packaging.
“These improvements will increase consumer confidence and prepare our products for larger retail markets,” she said.
Looking further ahead, Chelum’s long-term plans include investing in semi-automated production and packaging equipment to increase capacity, improve consistency, reduce manual labour and strengthen quality control.
“Automation will allow us to meet larger orders without compromising product quality,” she said.
Expansion into new markets
Touching on expansion, Chelum’s immediate growth plans involve entering the Miri, Sibu and Bintulu markets through supermarkets, airports, tourist outlets and corporate customers, while simultaneously strengthening its online sales channels to reach customers across Malaysia.
“Our goal is to position Chelum as a premium Sarawak chocolate brand that represents local ingredients and local pride,” Noor Asmah said.
To prepare for this growth, the company is improving its inventory management, production planning and supply chain systems, alongside strengthening quality assurance processes to ensure consistency across every product delivered.
Supplying Shell Select would represent a significant opportunity for Chelum to showcase authentic Sarawak products to a wider Malaysian customer base, Noor Asmah said.
“I am truly grateful to Shell LiveWire for believing in small entrepreneurs like us,” the founder said, adding that her ambitions extend beyond chocolate manufacturing.
“Chelum is more than a chocolate business. We are creating value from Sarawak’s local ingredients and helping introduce them to a wider market.
“Our dream is to build a proud Malaysian chocolate brand that can compete internationally while creating opportunities for local communities.”
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