ASK any Malaysian about their favourite snack and chances are the humble karipap (curry puff) will make the list.
Golden, flaky and filled with spiced potato or sardine, it is the kind of comfort food that transcends race, religion and region.
Found everywhere, from school canteens to pasar malams, from festive gatherings to roadside stalls, the karipap is more than a pastry.
It is a piece of Malaysia’s soul, carrying memories of shared laughter, family kitchens and neighbourhood celebrations.
And for 62-year-old Ismaliza from Ara Damansara, it is also the story of resilience, independence and unity.
"When I first started selling karipap after my husband’s passing, I thought maybe only Malay families would buy from me. But I was so wrong, I have Lim, who orders 50 pieces every week for his family’s dim sum sessions and Priya, who buys them for her temple functions.
"Comfort food doesn’t check your IC (MyKad) colour and that’s the magic of Malaysia, isn’t it? We’ve created this beautiful space where each culture’s treasures become everyone’s treasures," she told Sinar Daily.
When asked how she feels seeing Malaysians of all races enjoying her karipap, Ismaliza said that moment was a reminder that her humble karipap had become more than just food.
"It makes me want to cry happy tears every single time. Just last week, I delivered karipap to an office in KL and I saw this beautiful scene: a Malay uncle, a Chinese lady, an Indian gentleman and a young Iban girl from Sarawak, all sitting together sharing my karipap during their tea break.
"We don’t just tolerate each other’s traditions; we embrace them, celebrate them and make them part of our own lives. That’s the spirit of Merdeka," she said.
Merdeka is often remembered through flags, parades and speeches, but for Ismaliza, it also lives in the recipes passed down through generations.
"Merdeka is not just August 31, 1957, it’s every day that we choose to live proudly as Malaysians. Traditional recipes are like living history books. My mother learned this karipap recipe from her mother, who probably picked up influences from the Peranakan community, mixed with Malay spices.
"That’s Malaysia in a curry puff, different cultures coming together to create something uniquely ours," she said.
The real turning point came when she joined the Entrepreneurial Equalisation (EE) Programme by People Systems Consultancy (PSC). It changed everything.
For the first time, Ismaliza learned to treat her karipap sales as a proper business. She was taught how to manage costs, price her products correctly, market herself and even think about scaling beyond just daily survival.
"The mentorship and community of the programme gave me something I had never had before, belief in myself as an entrepreneur. Beyond the training, the ongoing mentorship helped me stay focused and motivated.
"It transformed my mindset: not only did I believe in myself, but I also discovered a deeper purpose - to uplift and support other single mothers.
"PSC completely transformed the way I think about business. Before joining their programme, I was just someone who could cook well. After the programme, I became someone who could run a business well," she said.
For context, Entrepreneurial Equalisation (EE) Programme by People Systems Consultancy Malaysia is a nationwide initiative helping underserved communities build sustainable livelihoods.
With that support, her business began to grow. She moved from small home orders of around RM300 a month to supplying cafés, including three to four branches of Richiamo Coffee and cafeteria points at government offices in Putrajaya.
Soon after, she began receiving bulk festive orders across Klang Valley, from Shah Alam to Bangsar and Putrajaya, through a network of agents and single mothers who help with deliveries.
Today, Ismaliza’s income has grown significantly, reaching between RM5,000 to RM8,000 monthly.
"I diversified my products, adding nangka burgers and cookies to my menu and expanded my reach through events such as monthly booths under the Women’s Development Ministry.
"I also collaborate with community networks involving single mothers, B40 housewives, and households with sick spouses, often in partnership with government agencies such as the Social Welfare Department. These initiatives not only help my business thrive but also create income opportunities for single mothers and persons with disabilities," she added.
The entrepreneurship equalisation programme is about more than just eradicating poverty and building incomes for these marginalised communities.
"It’s about giving communities hope, building resilience and capacity to succeed. Many of the families who we work with, including Ismaliza’s have long struggled with poverty and debt and the daily burden of survival.
"For the last 20 years we have seen over 100,000 families from our programme benefit directly and grow their incomes between 100-400 per cent," said People Systems Consultancy co-founder and executive director Raymond Gabriel.
This has been done without giving loans and financing upfront and without any handouts, but solely fork how we build business capacity, intelligence and resilience.
When TasteAtlas ranked karipap as the fourth best pastry in the world, Ismaliza was proud, not just for her own craft but for the recognition of a snack so deeply rooted in Malaysia’s food heritage.
"For me, karipap is more than a snack; it’s a story in pastry form. The flaky layers show our patience, the curry filling carries our spices, our heritage, our roots. When the world recognises karipap, it’s not just about food. It’s about Malaysia being celebrated for something so close to our hearts," she said.
Her greatest hope is for the younger generation to see traditional food not as old-fashioned, but as timeless treasures.
“Don’t just eat them, learn to make them. Learn the stories behind them. Fifty years from now, I want to see young Malaysians still folding karipap pleats, still sharing them at tea time, still connecting people through this humble snack. That is how traditions survive and how unity endures," she said.
“1957 gave us independence as a country. My personal Merdeka came when I was 62, after years of financial struggle. Through the Entrepreneurial Empowerment Programme, I learned to believe in myself again.
"Today, when I employ single mothers, when I donate to my mosque, when I bring joy to families of all races with my karipap, that is my daily Merdeka. True independence is when we turn struggles into strength and lift others up along the way," she said.