A Disciple of Experience

In the summer of 2021, I decided to step away from city life due to the pandemic lockdown and fully immerse myself in nature. My journey led me to Kemensah, Kuala Lumpur, where I trained under a veteran commando trained by the British pre-Independence. I was honing my survival skills and preparing for potential extreme situation of a possible zombie breakout or a nuclear post apocalypse future, judging by the news.

In my role as the Guardian of the Forest at Kem Isi Rimba, I was responsible for ensuring the safety of the camp and its visitors. This involved safeguarding a 20-year-old, 11-hectare jungle camp, caring for the camp's dogs and horses, and leading jungle treks. I also worked on river conservation efforts, maintaining and constructing camp infrastructure using natural materials, and serving as a paintball marshal, managing equipment and gear maintenance. Safe guarding the visitors and the nature all the whilst personally responsible for the care of a sick elderly, Sarjan (90 years old) whom I have dubbed my Don Quixote.

During my training, I was involved in a film project set in the camp, where I built a primitive village entirely from natural resources within a strict 10-day deadline. Working with a small team of seasoned individuals, we constructed various structures, including castles for a village chief and his rival, a throne stage, a gladiator ring, several small huts for extras, and a marketplace with plenty of merchant stalls. Additionally, we built a 15-foot tall, 40-foot long wall for the village's perimeter, later repurposed for another location where I constructed a lake dock to accommodate a four-person raft. Collaborating with the native Orang Asli tribe for bamboo and wood procurement, we successfully completed this project, known as Komodo Village. 

In 2022, I was recruited to support the development of an off-grid permaculture farm in Bentong, Pahang. My duties included building a doomsday bunker and an emergency safe house, managing solar power and hydro pump water systems, constructing infrastructure, caring for livestock, and cultivating vegetables and fruits.

Currently, I work as a freelance permaculture designer, partnering with small-scale farmers such as Tiga Biri Perak, Soul Soil, and Post Ark, among others.