Azrin Mohamad Zawawi in pilot uniform prepares food at his stall in Subang Jaya near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Nov. 8, 2020. (Photo by Chong Voon Chung/Xinhua)

"Don't be shy and think positive. For me, I always look in the front. It's like an aircraft, because an aircraft, you cannot move backwards, you must fly forward," said a 44-year-old Malaysian pilot who opened a food stall after losing his job due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov. 10 (Xinhua) -- Cooking and serving customers at a hawker center on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur, Azrin Mohamad Zawawi stands out from the rest, dressed in a flight captain's uniform as he did for the past 20 years, except for a red apron he wears.

Cheerful and attentive, the 44-year-old father of four school-going children, rapidly adapted to the fact after losing his job as a pilot of Malaysia's Malindo Airlines, showing resilience and determination to overcome the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"We learnt from the news that the pandemic will not end very soon, which means the aviation industry is unlikely to soon recover. So I have to try something new to meet the family expenses," he told Xinhua.

Work starts early for Azrin, having to prepare the dishes early in the morning and then selling them till late at night, selling between 350 to 500 portions a day, helping him offset his financial commitments and living expenses.

Azrin Mohamad Zawawi in pilot uniform works at his food stall in Subang Jaya near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Nov. 9, 2020. (Photo by Chong Voon Chung/Xinhua)

Azrin started his business in October, the same month he was officially retrenched, having foreseen the trouble the airline industry is facing due to the pandemic, which had almost shut travel and tourism worldwide.

Having sought the advice from friends and families, Azrin settled on serving northern Malay cuisine, consisting mainly of various soup noodles and "rojak", a traditional fruit and vegetable salad dish as his mother-in-law is well versed in those dishes. He also got help from the families to run the small business.

Azrin put a twist on his business, donning a flight captain's uniform while working at his stall, something which he said reminded him of the importance of responsibility.

"Before this, our responsibility is to take care of our cabin crew and also passengers in terms of safety but in the food industry, I have to take care of you, to give a very delicious food for you to try. That is a responsibility also, by wearing my uniform, I know I got responsibility," he said.

Azrin Mohamad Zawawi in pilot uniform serves food at his stall in Subang Jaya near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Nov. 4, 2020. (Photo by Chong Voon Chung/Xinhua)

The photos of him serving food in uniform went viral on social media. Many praised him for his resilience with some even visiting his stall. "After media reports, we have more and more people visiting our stall," he said, "We are even planning to expand the business."

Azrin said he does miss the days of flying in the sky as he was able to visit many countries as part of his job, expressing hope that he will get his wings back once the pandemic subsides.

He said he had piloted chartered flights to China and enjoyed the food there. "The food of China is very good," he said.

But for now, Azrin is focusing on his small food business.

Azrin Mohamad Zawawi adjusts his uniform before he starts working at his food stall in Subang Jaya near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Nov. 9, 2020. (Photo by Chong Voon Chung/Xinhua)

"Don't be shy and think positive. For me, I always look in the front. It's like an aircraft, because an aircraft, you cannot move backwards, you must fly forward. Same goes to any business especially during difficult times, you cannot look backwards," he said.

"You must look forward, be positive and you still have some hope, at least there is a lot of things, there is a lot of opportunities actually outside here," he added. ■