{"id":184638,"date":"2025-08-20T09:54:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-20T09:54:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/?p=184638"},"modified":"2025-08-20T09:54:23","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T09:54:23","slug":"kukii-where-sincerity-meets-sweetness-at-gombak-food-festival-2-0","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/?p=184638","title":{"rendered":"Kukii: Where Sincerity Meets Sweetness at  Gombak Food Festival 2.0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong><em>By, Syuhada Yusoff &amp; Aysha Afrin<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the bustling heart of the Gombak Food Festival 2.0, where the scent of yummy food and the rhythm of cheerful footsteps echoed across IIUM&#8217;s Riverside from 3-4 June 2025, there was one humble booth that radiated warmth beyond taste, which was a modest cookie stall named Kukii. More than just a sweet treat, Kukii is a small business built upon Islamic principles, entrepreneurship passion, and youthful sincerity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In a sea of food vendors showcasing culinary creativity and Instagram-worthy dishes, Kukii stood out<br>not just for its delightful flavours but for the values that shape every cookie. Owned and managed by<br>the owner known as Nur Afiqah, a young university student and aspiring entrepreneur, Kukii brings a heartfelt touch to this year\u2019s Gombak Food Festival 2.0, reminding everyone that business isn\u2019t just about profit.<br><br><strong>From Campus Kitchen to Community Favourite<\/strong><br>\u201cI started Kukii last year, just as a way to earn a little extra money while studying,\u201d shared Afiqah, smiling as she arranged her neatly packed cookies. \u201cI began by taking small weekend orders inside the university, then my mom suggested we collaborate. That\u2019s when we started joining more events, selling at car booth sales and then eventually, we were invited to this festival by one of the Communication students.\u201d The name Kukii, she admits with a laugh, came about quite casually. She explained, \u201cWe didn\u2019t know what else to name it. Since we sell mostly cookies, we just played around with the word and decided on Kukii!&#8221;<br><br><strong>What Makes Kukii Special?<\/strong><br><br>While cookies are a common sight at any food event, Kukii offers something refreshingly different.<br>\u201cWe focus on keeping our prices student-friendly,\u201d Afiqah explained. \u201cOur cookies start at only RM4,<br>and even our most premium flavour which is Kunafa Pistachio that is RM7 only. But we never<br>compromise on quality. We use local and premium ingredients, making sure that every bite is worth<br>more than what you pay.\u201d From chewy chocolate chunks to melt-in-the-mouth butter cookies, Kukii offers a wide range of flavours that tempt students and staff alike.<br><br><strong>Marketing with Heart and Integrity<\/strong><br><br>In the age of digital influence, Kukii fully embraces social media as a marketing communication tool. \u201cWe actively post on Instagram, TikTok, Threads, and more,\u201d said Afiqah. \u201cWe usually post every week to keep our customers updated. Events like Gombak Food Fest 2.0 also help us reach new people.\u201d But what truly<br>elevates Kukii\u2019s marketing approach is Afiqah\u2019s sincere commitment to Islamic values in business<br>communication.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAccording to the Islamic perspective, we are not allowed to lie, especially in business,\u201d she said. \u201cIf<br>any of my cookies are cracked or broken, I won\u2019t sell them unless I inform the customer. I always ask<br>first like if they\u2019re okay with it, then Alhamdulillah. If not, I\u2019ll keep it aside. I want every customer to<br>feel that they\u2019ve received something honest and good\u201d. This act may seem small, but in a marketplace<br>where appearance often overrules honesty, her commitment reflects true Islamic values as she applies<br>honesty, trustworthiness, and transparency in her business.<br><br><strong>Islamic Marketing Communicator in Action<\/strong><br>What Afiqah represents is more than a businesswoman. She actually represents an Islamic marketing<br>communicator, with someone who integrates Islamic principles in the way how she communicates,<br>sells, and engages with her customers. Her dedication to truthful advertising, respectful customer<br>service, and cleanliness in food handling have in line perfectly with the Prophetic example of commerce.<br>For Afiqah, success isn\u2019t just about money, but it\u2019s about earning blessings and pleasure from Allah.<br>\u201cWhen you\u2019re sincere and honest, customers will come back,\u201d she said. \u201cEven if they try once, they\u2019ll<br>remember the taste and the quality of your cookies.\u201d<br><br><strong>A Message to Muslim Youth<\/strong><br>As a young Muslim woman juggling university life and business, Afiqah is passionate about encouraging others to do the same. \u201cDon\u2019t be afraid to start,\u201d she advises. \u201cEven if you fail, that doesn\u2019t mean you won\u2019t succeed later. I\u2019ve learned a lot by just doing. If you want to begin something, just learn, and just do it.\u201d<br><br><strong>Kukii and Kindness at Gombak Food Festival<\/strong><br>The Gombak Food Festival 2.0 is more than just a food event. It is a vibrant platform that celebrates not only flavors but also faith, values, and community spirit. Kukii embodies this perfectly, delivering not just cookies, but a powerful reminder that Islamic values can and should shine in every area of life, including marketing and business. As the crowd continues to gather, and cookie boxes fly off the table, one thing is clear at Kukii, every bite is made with sincerity, every sale with honesty, and every customer treated with care and all in line with the beautiful values of Islam. So, if you&#8217;re looking for something sweet, soulful, and sincerely mom-made, don\u2019t miss your chance to stop by Kukii at the Gombak Food Festival.***<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>*Photo taken from Kukii Instagram page.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By, Syuhada Yusoff &amp; Aysha Afrin At the bustling heart of the Gombak Food Festival 2.0, where the scent of yummy food and the rhythm&hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":351,"featured_media":185122,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"nelio_content":{"isAutoShareEnabled":true,"autoShareEndMode":"never","automationSources":{"useCustomSentences":false,"customSentences":[]},"followers":[351,237],"suggestedReferences":[],"efiUrl":"","efiAlt":"","highlights":[],"permalinkQueryArgs":[]},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Kukii-ig.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184638"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/351"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=184638"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184638\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":185125,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/184638\/revisions\/185125"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/185122"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=184638"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=184638"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/news.iium.edu.my\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=184638"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}