Builders Build.

Today I had a moment I truly treasure.

I got the chance to be interviewed by Datuk @Jake Abdullah for a podcast session that will air on 29 July.

Honestly, I have known of Datuk Jake from afar for a long time. I follow his writing and his posts on LinkedIn. The way he thinks, the way he asks questions, the way he looks at things — it always leaves me impressed.

But after today, I don’t just know of him. I got to feel who he really is.

Datuk Jake is very sharp. Every question had a purpose. Not to chase a sensational headline or to trap me, but to genuinely understand the person sitting in front of him. He listened with full attention, gave room to think, and made me revisit a life journey I had not spoken about that deeply in a long time.

Honestly, only one thing kept coming up in my heart.

I like this man. These days it is very hard to meet someone that authentic. No pretending. Not trying to be someone else. Truly present in every conversation. To me, people like this are very rare.

Throughout that session, I looked back at the journey that made me who I am today.

I realised once again that nothing happens overnight. What people see today is only the result of years of a journey full of challenges. I have been through very hard times. I have struggled, been disappointed, almost given up. I have felt wronged, cheated, deceived, slandered and betrayed by people I trusted.

But in every one of those phases, Allah SWT never left me. Allah brought people who reached out a hand when I was about to fall.

Mak, who never stopped praying for me. My wife and family who always stood by my side. The RichWorks team who kept believing in this fight even when we went through all kinds of tests.

Thank you also to the Titan and SPIRE families who remain committed to building their businesses with us. The trust given all this while is not something I take lightly. It is an amanah that constantly reminds me why this fight must continue.

I also deeply appreciate all the business partners and associates who chose to walk with us through this journey.

And I have never forgotten the thousands of silent readers, alumni and friends who may never leave a comment or write long posts on social media, but who always pray, give encouragement and support in silence.

Believe me, sometimes the prayer of someone you least expect is the very reason you stay strong enough to get up the next day.

When I look back at this journey, I am more and more convinced that every test does not come to destroy us. It comes to shape us into someone stronger, more mature, and more ready to carry a bigger amanah.

That is why I always believe… Builders build. Even when tested, even when slandered, even when betrayed, they keep building.

Because in the end, what will be remembered is not all the noise along the way, but the value we create, the lives we manage to change, and the legacy we leave behind.

Thank you, Datuk Jake Abdullah.

Thank you for giving me the space to share, and more importantly, because through those meaningful questions, I was reminded again of the journey Allah SWT has arranged in my life.

I hope that when this podcast airs on 29 July, it will not just tell my story, but can be the reason hope reaches those who are going through the hardest phase of building their dreams right now.

Keep building. Your story isn’t over yet.

Datuk Wira