Once a motivational camp operator, now a used bicycle dealer

Mohd Kamal Jusoh owns a small bicycle repair and restoration shop in Kampung Sungai Serai in Hulu Langat, Selangor.

Although he does careful and meticulous work, he charges far less than the shops in the city, which means that even those who are unaffordable can bring their bicycles to him for repair.

Kamal was not always a used bicycle repairman. Once, he ran a motivational camp in Hulu Langat. But a lack of support and demand eventually saw a steep drop in his business there.

After he finishes repairing each bike, he takes pictures to post on social media in the hope of making a sale.

Most of his sales are made directly to interested customers on Facebook.

At times, he finds himself short of bicycles to work on, and must begin making the rounds, looking for more.

His motivational camp, Camp Lambaiana, is located at Sungai Gabai in Hulu Langat. There, he used to hold seminars and training sessions for government agencies and educational institutions. But now, the camp grounds are quiet and empty.

Kamal stands outside one of the chalets at Camp Lambaiana, which is in a sad state of neglect. Unable to make the rent, he returned the premises to its owner and has said good-bye to this line of work.

But he still remembers the days when the campgrounds were filled with people, with him hard at work as the facilitator.

At his small workshop, a lorry reverses into the driveway to deposit a load of old bicycles.

He goes through the lot, selecting the bicycles that can still be salvaged. These, he buys for cheap and then restores and sells to those who are interested.

Often, he has to haggle with the sellers to get a good price for the bikes.

Then, he gets to work, stopping whenever he has customers who bring their bicycles to him for repair.

Kamal never had any formal lessons on how to fix bicycles. Everything he knows, he picked up from his friends and from his frequent study of the internet.

Every weekend, he joins in a 'car boot sale' in Kota Damansara, modelled on street or flea markets where customers come to buy second-hand goods. He always brings along a bicycle or two to sell along with the rest of his wares.

Kamal hands over an old motorcycle helmet to a customer for inspection. It's hard work and the money isn't great, but he does what he can each day to continue making a living.