You wouldn’t know it by looking at Abdul Razak Abdul Aziz, but he was diagnosed with Stage 4 prostate cancer in March 2022.
Fit as a fiddle and a strong swimmer, the 63-year-old has never undergone chemotherapy or radiotherapy since his diagnosis. But he never fails to take his medicine or go for his regular check-ups.
A believer in positive thinking, connecting with nature, and doing good, Abdul Razak and his wife, Intan Jailani, have travelled all over Malaysia to promote sustainable farming. They have also planted over 6,000 trees. Abdul Razak believes that is the reason for his “improved health”.
“When I received news about my cancer, the doctor told me it had spread (metastasised) to my bones,” said Abdul Razak, who walks barefoot to “connect with nature”.
“I was supposed to undergo chemotherapy, but against my doctor’s wishes, I refused. I said: ‘Give me a few weeks, as I know my body’. She wasn’t happy.
“After three weeks, my cancer markers had reduced, so I continued without chemotherapy.”
In the weeks leading up to his second check-up, Abdul Razak met three people who advised him to “jangan layan” (don’t think about) the cancer. They also told him to focus on doing what he loved.
“They asked me to make peace with the people around me and forgive those who had hurt me,” said Abdul Razak, who did just that.
“One of the people I spoke to was a doctor, who asked me many questions, but none were about my condition. Instead, he asked me about my life, if I had a bucket list, and what I wanted to do.
“I found it strange, but he told me that he would worry about my cancer, and that I should focus on keeping myself occupied.”
One of the items on Abdul Razak’s bucket list was to visit China. That is something he and Intan, his wife of nearly 38 years, will do later this year.
Others included helping writer Ridzwan Rahim complete his Terengganu Four Swims – a four-marathon swimming challenge involving three islands last week, promoting sustainable farming, travelling around Malaysia, and camping.
“Some friends advised me to stop swimming, stop camping – be a homebody. I told them if I were to do that, I would be focusing on my cancer, and I would be sulking and feeling bad,” said Abdul Razak, a graphic designer in his youth.
“I took the doctor’s advice and went all in by doing what I love with gusto. I have never felt better.
“I prefer to go out doing the things that make me happy than sitting in a room, helpless and moody.”
Remarkably, in March this year, he had a computed tomography (CT) scan that revealed that only a small portion of the cancer remained.
“It is a miracle, although when I shared my experience with those in the cancer support group, many refused to believe it as they insisted that only chemotherapy or radiotherapy worked,” said the former school water polo player.
“I don’t doubt that, but I’m blessed. I am still taking my medicine and will continue until the end of the year when I have another check-up.”
ACCIDENTAL FARMERS
Abdul Razak and Intan began farming almost 20 years ago, months after they sold their graphic design business. They were undecided about their future until one night, Abdul Razak spoke with his 82-year-old dad.
“Out of the blue, he said he had always wanted to be a farmer and suggested that Intan and I give it a try,” said Abdul Razak.
“It was the most surprising thing I learnt about my dad. We decided to set up Best Goats and Sheep as we knew handling cattle was too big for us.
“We did our research and had as many as 200 sheep on our 50-acre farm before we scaled down to make it manageable.”
However, after starting the business, the couple realised that they needed to do more to save the environment.
That led them to set up Social Eco Enterprise Development for Sustainability (SEEDS Malaysia), near Klang, Selangor, in 2017, with their children Au-Diya and Al-Asas.
“The idea grew, and today, we go around teaching, advocating, and mentoring those interested in sustainable farming,” said Intan, who studied Art & Design (Textile) at Universiti Teknologi Mara.
“We have several workshops, including a four-day programme where participants learn about composting, reusing, and starting a garden.
“The participants stay at our homestead, which consists of a greenhouse, composting centre, edible garden, and food forest. We also have a 72-hour Permaculture Design Course.”
Permaculture is a system that aims to create sustainable human habitats and is a portmanteau of permanent agriculture. It was developed in the 1970s by Bill Mollison and David Holmgren.
“In the past few years, we planted over 2,200 trees in Kuching, over 2,000 at the Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman campus, and 1,700 in a school in Sekinchan, that has become a model for other schools to emulate,” said Intan.
“We are very proud of that as we love educating young children.”
HAVE TRUCK, WILL TRAVEL
Twentytwo13 caught up with the couple in Besut, in the east Malaysian state of Terengganu, last week, where Abdul Razak was the team leader for Ridzwan’s fourth and final marathon swim under the Terengganu Four Swims project.
Abdul Razak, who was involved with the swim across the Melaka Strait in 1992, used his experience to help Ridzwan plan and complete four marathon swims – Pulau Perhentian to the mainland (March 2021), Pulau Redang to the mainland (June 2023), Pulau Perhentian to Pulau Lang Tengah (March 2024) and Pulau Redang to Pulau Lang Tengah (July 2024).
“I have known Ridzwan since 2018 when we wanted to emulate the Melaka Strait challenge. Unfortunately, that project didn’t happen. Instead, we swam in Malaysian waters to Port Dickson,” said Abdul Razak.
“That was disappointing, but we kept in touch, and when Ridzwan suggested we do a ‘Perhentian Challenge’, I agreed.
“I’m glad Ridzwan has completed his mission. We both love swimming and want more Malaysians to know how to swim.”
Abdul Razak and Intan were previously involved in a ‘SwimSafe programme’ with Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, where they ran an eight-hour, money-back guarantee course.
“We promised that if you couldn’t swim after the eight-hour course, we would refund your money,” said Abdul Razak.
“Like Ridzwan, we believe swimming is a life skill that all Malaysians should possess.”
Abdul Razak and Intan love travelling and bought a second-hand Ford WildTrak pick-up truck in January to replace their 17-year-old Nissan Frontier.
“We tested all the brands, but this was the most comfortable. If we wanted a workhorse, we would have opted for a Toyota Hilux,” said Abdul Razak, who shares driving duties with his 62-year-old wife.
They have a three-man tent on top of the truck and a portable kitchen stove to cook and, more importantly, brew coffee.
“We no longer stay in hotels. Most of the time, we park our ‘home’ by the beach, in mosques, or surau,” said Intan.
“We love spending time outdoors and enjoying the twilight of our lives. The downside is that our vehicle is too tall for some malls. At times, we have to use valet parking. But that is a small price to pay.”
