The Founders · A Documentary
Samza began as a home-made sambal and grew into a food manufacturing business. This page tells that story from the public record, led by the two people who founded it.
Chapter 01
Malaysian media have consistently reported that Samza (trading name “Samza’s”) was founded and is run by Dr Norhazlina Sajali together with her co-founder Dr Mohamed Zairul Mohd. Yunus. The two appear side by side in several newspaper features across the years.
A Malaysian food entrepreneur and the public face of Samza across its media features. Often described in news reports as the founder of Samza, she is also reported to hold an executive leadership role in the company.
Reported as the co-founder and business partner of Samza since the earliest features. Publicity material links him to the company’s corporate leadership, and his academic background includes business and entrepreneurship.
Chapter 02
According to Berita Harian, Samza started at the family home kitchen, at first producing only about 30 bottles of green sambal (sambal cili hijau) a day before demand began to grow. The same article reported the founder’s ambition to reach tens of thousands of bottles a month from the new factory.
“Memulakan operasi hanya di dapur rumah ibunya dan hanya boleh menghasilkan 30 botol sambal cili hijau sehari…”
— Berita Harian, “Sambal Cili Hijau Kita ke Australia”, 17 December 2017
Chapter 03
Before the “Samza’s” brand we know today, the founder recalled starting out with a sambal hijau made under a heritage family name.
In a 2025 interview with Utusan Malaysia, Dr Norhazlina said she initially made a green sambal under the legacy brand “Cik Enab”. The demand was stronger than expected, and later the business was rebranded under the commercial name “Samza’s”.
Chapter 04
Dates below come from the company’s own website and from press features. Where public accounts differ, we keep the two figures side by side rather than silently choosing one.
The company’s official site says Samza began its journey into Malaysian homes in 2014, in Rawang, Selangor, with sambal and paste products.
The official site records 2015 as a year of sudden market growth. Some press accounts also report the business starting around 2015, begun with a small amount at a family garage.
In the 2025 Utusan interview, the founder said the business moved into premises at Kundang, Rawang, Selangor in 2016 after early demand took off.
The founder told Utusan the company applied for halal certification in early 2017 and received JAKIM halal certification the same year, later entering several modern trade retailers.
The official site says a second plant at Batu Pahat, Johor was established in 2024, focused on ready-to-eat and ready-to-drink lines, alongside the BUBBLE CAFE brand.
Chapter 05 · In her words
“Pada mulanya, saya membuat sambal hijau atas jenama warisan Cik Enab… Setelah memiliki pensijilan halal, kami telah memasuki beberapa pasar raya seperti Lotus’s, Aeon Big, Aeon, NSK Grocer, Tf Value Mart, Noko dan pelbagai lagi.”
— Dr Norhazlina Sajali, speaking to Utusan Malaysia, 6 January 2025
Chapter 06
After receiving halal certification, the business began appearing on the shelves of modern retail. The official site lists names such as Lotus’s, Mydin, TF Value Mart, ST Rosyam Mart, Noko and AEON. These placements are reported by the company and should be read as company claims.
Chapter 07
The official site describes Samza products as made from fresh ingredients, with the company harvesting its own chilli at Banting, Selangor.
The brand motto is “Fresh From Farm To You”. The official site also notes that most products are pasteurised and sterilised, with a long shelf life, and can be stored at room temperature.
See the gallery →
Chapter 08
From bold sambal to convenient porridge and energy gels, each product family grew out of the same starting idea. Explore a few below.
Ready-to-Eat Sambal
Green chilli sambal from the company catalogue.
Ready-to-Eat Porridge
Chicken porridge from the official product brochure.
Sauces
Chilli sauce listed in catalogue.
Energy / Lifestyle
Pineapple flavoured energy gel.
Chapter 09
In the 2025 Utusan interview, the founder said the company had entered export since 2021, including supplying cooking paste for hajj and umrah pilgrims, and had reached markets such as Australia and Dubai, with an office opened in Indonesia.
Chapter 10
Certifications and quality marks appear across the company’s official materials and should be treated as company claims.
The official site references Halalan Toyyiban, Halal certification by JAKIM, MeSTI, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP).
Chapter 11
The BUBBLE CAFE brand and the 2024 Batu Pahat plant add ready-to-eat and ready-to-drink lines to the story — including RTD coffee and tea formats.
The official site says the plant also houses warehouses, corporate office and administrative facilities.
Chapter 12 · The founder film
On the official Samza TV channel, a video titled “Sambal Asal Dari Depan Rumah Kini Memiliki Kilang Sendiri” (the sambal from in front of the house now has its own factory) feature food creator Rhys William visiting Samza. It echoes the same arc told across the press features.
Founder Story
The founder story and growth narrative, as shared on Samza TV.
Chapter 13 · Closing
Samza’s founders turned a home-made sambal into a food manufacturing company with a growing range and an expanding footprint. This documentary has been built strictly from the public record, with every source listed below.
Sources & Accuracy
This page is a documentary, not an invented biography. Every fact is drawn from the sources below. Items marked “Company claim” come from the company’s own materials and have not been independently confirmed by us.
Company history, product families, BUBBLE CAFE, Batu Pahat plant, farm and certification references. (samzafood.com.my)
Names Dr Norhazlina Sajali and Dr Mohamed Zairul as co-founders; covers the RM60 garage start, Cik Enab heritage brand, halal certification, retail entry and export activity. (utusan.com.my)
Names Norhazlina Sajali and Dr Mohamed Zairul Mohd. Yunus; describes the 2015 start and the 30-bottle-a-day beginning. (utusan.com.my)
Names Norhazlina Sajali, 33, with partner Dr Mohamed Zairul Mohd. Yunus, 44, as entrepreneurs behind Samza. (utusan.com.my)
“Sambal Cili Hijau Kita ke Australia” — covers the family-kitchen start and 30-bottles-a-day beginning. (bharian.com.my)
The company’s own news page reproduces and links the Berita Harian and Utusan features above. (samzaindustries.wixsite.com)
The founder-story video and company films, including the Bhys William factory visit. (youtube.com)
Note on roles: company materials and media features describe both as founders of Samza. Different materials place them in different executive titles; this page deliberately avoids asserting a single disputed hierarchy and instead presents their partnership, which the sources agree on.
Note on dates: the brand’s early journey is dated 2014 on the official site, while some press accounts describe the business starting around 2015. Both are shown in this documentary rather than resolved silently.
Latest reads
Four rotating articles tied to SamzaFood and food-industry context.
The Latest
Samza gallery page
Shows the official visual story used on the Samza website.
Open story →
The Latest
Samza official website and local PDFs
Confirms manufacturing positioning, product families and official social links.
Open story →Brand Insight
Industry Read
Grouping products into clear families helps visitors understand range, use case and brand direction faster.
Open story →Production Insight
Industry Read
Inspection, filling and handling scenes help a public site show discipline without sounding technical or cold.
Open story →Ambient view
Use this view as a control surface for what SamzaFood is doing right now: product discovery, cart review, order request and daily signals.
