By Wilfred Pilo
For 45-year-old certified traditional masseur Ibrahim Mahmud, good health starts with a simple message—“Be in love with your life.”
The words have a special place at his massage centre, where they have been displayed on a framed wall since he recently moved his service centre to Stutong Community Market.
For Ibrahim, the words are more than decoration. They constantly remind him and his customers to take care of their health and enjoy life.
“I cannot cure people, but I can make them feel healthy and give them a feeling of rejuvenation.
“We must practise good living, eat well, and not over-indulge,” he told Dayak Daily when sharing his journey as a traditional masseur.
Ibrahim developed an interest in traditional massage in 2005, drawing on therapeutic techniques he learned from a practitioner in his village in Daro when he was young.
He noticed how people looked happier and felt better after receiving a massage—and that experience stayed with him.
After working a typical 9-to-5 job for many years, Ibrahim decided to pursue traditional massage as a career. He enrolled at a professional training centre and began practising full-time in 2016.
“After training with an accredited instructor, I turned my passion into a profession and began providing therapeutic care,” he said.
Today, he runs his own massage centre and is licensed to practise traditional massage.
In addition to being accredited by the Ministry of Health Malaysia, he is a certified trainer in traditional massage and related body health therapies, as recognised by the Ministry of Human Resources.
For Ibrahim, proper training and compliance with government rules and regulations are important.
“These recognitions and certifications validate my work and build trust with my clients, giving them greater confidence in my services,” he explained.
However, Ibrahim stressed that traditional massage should not be seen as a treatment for curing diseases.
“I respect all therapeutic practitioners. As traditional masseurs, we do not cure diseases; we provide care to help clients feel refreshed, uplifted, and better equipped for daily life,” he said.
Ibrahim also crafts his own massage oil using locally sourced natural herbs, as he believes these ingredients are particularly well-suited to the needs of the local community.
He said most traditional masseurs use similar massage techniques and oils, although each practitioner may have their own way of doing things.
His advice to customers is simple—eat properly, take care of the body, and live a balanced life.
“A good diet helps to keep the body healthy. It also helps me when giving you a good massage and makes you feel rejuvenated. Who would not want to feel good?” he said with a smile.
For Ibrahim, traditional massage is not only about the physical body. It is also about caring for people and giving them a little comfort during their life journey.
As Ibrahim helps others feel better, he is reminded of the same message hanging on his wall: to love life and take good care of it.
His massage centre, Ibrahim Baraqah, is located at GA22, Stutong Community Market. It operates daily from 9am to 4pm, Monday to Sunday.
For inquiries, call or WhatsApp 014-957 0806. — DayakDaily
