Meet Akak Bengkel, the M'sian Woman Who Went From Knowing Nothing About Cars to Running a Workshop

Life can be full of unexpected twists.

That was certainly the case for one Malaysian woman who found herself doing something she never imagined she would do: becoming the owner of a car workshop.

Like many drivers, 29-year-old Zety Ain Sakinah binti Mohamad Isqandar once knew very little about cars. Although she drove herself to and from college every day, her automotive knowledge was limited to driving and refuelling her vehicle.

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Whenever her car needed servicing or repairs, she would simply leave it to her father to handle.

So, how does someone with almost no knowledge of car parts end up running a workshop and overseeing a team that repairs customers' vehicles?

COVID-19 changed everything

Not only did Zety have no prior knowledge of cars, but her educational background was also far removed from the automotive industry.

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The eldest of three siblings graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor's Degree (Hons) in Integrated Marketing Communication from Infrastructure University Kuala Lumpur (IUKL), and never imagined herself working in a car workshop.

That changed in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted her career plans. While interning at Mercedes-Benz Malaysia, Zety witnessed retrenchments and contract workers losing their jobs, leaving her uncertain about her prospects of securing a full-time role.

At the same time, her father was struggling to keep his workshop running after several employees left in search of other opportunities. Wanting to help, Zety decided to stay and support the family business, which marked the beginning of her journey in the automotive industry.

What began as a temporary arrangement at Zitas Garage eventually grew into a full-time career.

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As her responsibilities expanded to include management, marketing, business development and external relations, Zety realised she also needed a stronger understanding of the technical side of the business. To bridge that gap, she pursued the Malaysian Skills Certificate (SKM) Levels 2 and 3 in automotive through the PPT pathway after gaining several years of industry experience.

Despite her growing expertise, Zety, who is better known online as Akak Bengkel, stressed that she is not a mechanic and does not personally repair customers' vehicles.

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The Akak Bengkel persona came about organically after customers and business partners repeatedly referred to Zety by the nickname while sending vehicles to her workshop. The name eventually stuck and grew into her personal brand.

For Zety, however, Akak Bengkel is less about being a mechanic and more about representing her identity as a woman who manages and grows a workshop.

"To me, 'Akak Bengkel' doesn't necessarily mean I'm a mechanic, technician or foreman. Instead, it represents my identity as a woman who manages and builds a workshop."

A woman in a male-dominated industry

There is no such thing as an easy job, especially when you're a woman working in a male-dominated industry.

Throughout her time at the workshop, Zety has faced numerous challenges, particularly when it comes to communication.

Ironically, despite studying communication during both her diploma and degree programmes, she found that real-life experience was very different from what she learned in the classroom.

"I had to learn how to communicate with suppliers, approach them professionally, manage stock orders and negotiate prices. Then there's a completely different challenge when it comes to dealing with customers."

Zety recalled working with two team members, Syukri and Nurin, who had recently graduated from a vocational college. Although both possessed the necessary technical knowledge, neither was particularly experienced in explaining vehicle issues to customers.

As a result, it often fell on Zety to bridge the gap and communicate technical matters in a way customers could easily understand.

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On top of mastering the business side of the workshop, Zety also had to develop her confidence as a leader.

During her early years in the industry, she believed she needed to match the physical strength and working style of her male colleagues to earn respect. Over time, however, she came to realise that effective leadership isn't defined by physical strength, but by qualities such as communication, planning, management and understanding people.

"It took me four to five years to understand one thing: I don't have to be a man to lead men."

As a woman in a male-dominated industry, Zety has also had to contend with stereotypes and occasional discrimination. One incident in 2022 remains particularly memorable.

While learning how to remove a tyre and replace brake pads, a man from a neighbouring workshop publicly scolded her, saying it was inappropriate for a woman to be working in such a manner. The experience left her shocked and embarrassed, especially as she was simply trying to learn and improve her skills.

Rather than letting incidents like that discourage her, Zety chose to view them as part of her journey. She added that most customers have reacted positively after discovering that Zitas Garage is managed by a young woman, with many expressing surprise and admiration.

Family was her biggest support system

When Zety first decided to pursue a career in automotive and eventually take over the workshop, her father, Capt (B) Mohamad Isqandar bin Salleh, was fully supportive. Her mother, however, was initially a little more hesitant.

Even so, Zety said her family remains her strongest support system to this day.

According to her, Zitas Synergy Garage was established in 2018 by her father, a former army electrical engineer who had extensive experience managing military workshops.

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While Zety now manages the business, her father continues to play an active role as a supervisor and advisor.

She also credits the discipline, SOPs and work systems at Zitas Garage to her father's experience and the lessons he passed on to her.

While Zety now leads the business, she said the workshop's success is the result of a strong partnership between her and her father. She focuses on identifying growth opportunities and bringing a fresh perspective to the company, while her father continues to provide the technical knowledge, discipline and experience that have shaped the workshop since its early days.

"I may be the face of the business today, but my father is the mastermind behind the scenes."

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For Zety, Zitas Garage has undergone a major transformation since she first joined the business.

She recalled secretly approaching an agency to seek funding to improve the workshop's branding and overall image.

"We started improving our branding, customer experience and market positioning. We also built a customer database and slowly shifted our focus from simply competing with other workshops to creating value."

Zety added, "Today, we want to attract customers who appreciate quality workmanship, transparency and a good customer experience."

“It's a really rewarding experience when people begin noticing your work”

The Akak Bengkel brand has built a sizeable following on social media, with more than 30,000 followers on TikTok.

Despite her growing online presence, Zety admits she has always considered herself a private person. In fact, her social media journey only began because of a dare.

Back in 2022, after telling a group of engine oil dealers that business had been slow, they challenged her to post 40 consecutive videos on TikTok. Taking up the challenge, Zety began posting regularly despite having little experience creating content.

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Although her early videos lacked direction, she gradually gained confidence, invested in better content creation tools and developed the online persona now known as Akak Bengkel.

"Even today, though, I still consider myself a very private person."

According to Zety, social media has played a significant role in helping the business gain exposure and attract customers. More importantly, it has become a platform for raising awareness about the stereotypes women continue to face in the automotive industry.

"My objective is simple. I want to grow the business. I don't appear on social media to prove that I'm the best or that women are better than men."

Instead, Zety said she finds the greatest satisfaction in seeing the positive impact her content has on others.

She shared that some parents have approached her to say that her videos encouraged them to support their daughters in pursuing automotive-related studies and careers.

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"If my presence becomes one of the reasons a woman feels that she, too, can be part of this world, that's more than enough for me," she said.

She added that one of the most rewarding aspects of her journey has been gaining the respect and acceptance of industry veterans.

Considering she entered the automotive world with little to no knowledge about cars, being welcomed into circles of experienced professionals means a great deal to her.

What's on the horizon for Zitas Garage?

Looking back, one of the biggest lessons Zety has learned is that passion alone is not enough.

Although she initially entered the automotive industry to help her father, there were moments when she seriously considered walking away.

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"I entered this industry without a proper plan. There was a time when I came close to giving up, but I didn't have an exit strategy either," she shared.

"That's when I realised that running a business requires more than passion. It requires planning, numbers, systems, people and direction. Clarity is incredibly important. Once I understood what I was building and why I was building it, my decisions became much clearer."

When asked what advice she would give to women interested in entering industries traditionally dominated by men, Zety said the first step is identifying their purpose.

According to her, women should never enter a field simply to prove a point or silence doubters.

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"Women in the automotive industry are still underrated. Many people assume the job is all about manual labour and heavy lifting, but the modern automotive industry is far more complex than that," added Zety.

"I strongly encourage more women to consider technical and automotive careers, not because we want to prove something to the public, but because we can genuinely contribute and become valuable assets to the industry."

As for the future of Zitas Garage, Zety said she has always viewed the workshop as her biggest training ground.

She believes the business is preparing her for something bigger, even if she does not yet know exactly what that future looks like.

"Honestly, I don't know what that 'something bigger' is just yet. Maybe I'll only discover the answer in the years to come. I try not to place too many expectations on myself because I feel like I'm still in the process of building who I am."

"For now, I just want to keep learning, keep growing and trust the process," she said.

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