ZOAHARIAN.COM – It never crossed Ayatulloh's (41) mind that the simple shop where he sold fried food and coffee would actually be the beginning of his journey to the seat of the Head of Pahlawan Setia Village, Tarumajaya District, Bekasi Regency, West Java.

Ayatulloh lived his life as a trader for almost 10 years. Every day, he starts selling at around 15.00 WIB and only closes the shop before dawn.

From this business, Ayatulloh earns a profit of around IDR 200,000 to IDR 300,000 per day. This income is used to meet his family's needs.

However, the stall was not just a place to earn a living. There, Ayatulloh often chatted with residents who came to buy fried foods and coffee.

Small talk in stalls slowly turned into a space for residents to express various problems they faced.

From there, a number of citizens began to push Ayatullah to nominate himself as the head of the village.

"For almost 10 years of trading at the stall, many brothers have spoken. They said, just run for it tomorrow. So the term is being promoted by the residents," said Ayatulloh when met by Kompas.com at his residence in Pahlawan Setia Village, Friday (25/9/2026).

Was a Factory Worker

Before becoming a fried food and coffee trader, Ayatulloh's life journey was also marked by experience as a factory worker.

He worked in a factory until he received plans to transfer to Kalimantan. However, Ayatulloh chose not to take this opportunity.

This decision forced him to leave his job without receiving severance pay.

To continue to meet the family's needs, Ayatulloh then worked as a builder's helper or kenek.

After that, he chose to open his own business selling fried foods and coffee.

In 2018, another opportunity came. Ayatulloh is trusted to work for the Pahlawan Setia Village Government as village development planning staff.

Even though he works at the village office, he still runs a fried food and coffee business to increase his income.

This routine makes Ayatulloh interact more often with the community. From the village office and small shop, he increasingly understands the problems faced by residents.

The desire to participate in developing the village is getting stronger.

Was sneered at because he only sold fried food

Ayatulloh's decision to run in the Loyal Heroes Village Head Election (Pilkades) apparently did not receive full support.

He admitted that he had doubts because he was considered not to have large capital. His job as a fried food seller has even become a source of ridicule.

"I was told that I don't have money, why is the fried food maker running for village head, what can I do if I become village head to improve the village," he said.

In fact, some parties suggested that Ayatollah sell the house to finance his candidacy.

"There are also those who say, sell your house, if you lose the nomination, where will you sleep, under the bridge," he said.

However, these various sneers did not make Ayatulloh back down. On the contrary, those words actually became motivation for him.

"In fact, that has become my motivation to be even more enthusiastic about running for village head," he said.

With the support of residents, parents and family, Ayatulloh finally took part in the Loyal Heroes Village Election.

After going through a strict selection process, he was finally elected as Head of Pahlawan Setia Village for the 2026-2034 period.

Prioritize TPU and Drainage

During about six months of conducting outreach and meeting residents, Ayatulloh admitted that he knew more and more about the problems felt by the community.

One of the areas of concern is the distribution of aid to citizens.

According to him, the community hopes that assistance can be provided on target, especially to those who really need it.

Apart from the issue of assistance, the need for a public burial place (TPU) is also an aspiration that is expressed by quite a lot of residents.

This is especially felt by people who live in residential areas. When a family member dies, some residents have difficulty finding land for burial.

This issue is now on the agenda that Ayatulloh wants to fight for while leading the village.

"In the future, I will prioritize the provision of public cemeteries and drainage channels," he said.

Behind his steps to become village head, there was a message from his father that Ayatulloh always remembered.

Before taking part in the election, his father advised him not to abuse the village budget if he was elected.

This message was a reminder for Ayatulloh to carry out his mandate as village head after previously spending almost a decade earning a living from fried food and coffee shops.