Kuala lumpur: What began as a hobby of growing grapes at home has led to the fruit being presented to His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, in conjunction with His Majesty's official birthday celebration recently.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Mohammad Dzarul Hakim Dol Malek, 31, shared his experience of presenting the grapes during the celebration on June 1. These grapes, cultivated at the residence of renowned entrepreneur Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew at The Mines, Seri Kembangan, Selangor, were given as a gift to the King, thanks to a collaboration between Amanda Puteri Garden and Lee.
Amanda Puteri Garden, managed by Mohammad Dzarul Hakim along with his parents Maizah Jalil, 59, and Dol Malek Md Sap, 61, in Masjid Tanah, is working to commercialise grape cultivation on approximately 20 hectares of land in Rasa, Selangor. This initiative aims to reduce Malaysia's dependence on imported grapes, which currently amounts to tens of thousands of tonnes annually.
'The grapes have also been presented to the Raja of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Jamalullail, and the Tengku Ampuan of Pahang, Tunku Hajah Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah,' Mohammad Dzarul Hakim told Bernama. Reflecting on their journey, he noted that it all began as a hobby for his parents, who started planting grapes in 2002 as part of their home landscaping.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the family decided to take grape cultivation seriously and developed their 1.2-hectare orchard in Kuala Sungai Baru Hilir, Masjid Tanah, into a new agro-tourism product. Mohammad Dzarul Hakim quit his job as an accountant in Kuala Lumpur to fully dedicate himself to this venture. After years of hard work, each rain shelter structure now houses over 1,000 grapevines, producing 100 kilogrammes of grapes per harvest with three harvest seasons annually.
The family cultivates the Jupiter grape variety, known for its slightly oval shape and blackish-red color when ripe. This variety offers a unique flavor, combining notes of lychee, mango, and passion fruit, and is very sweet when fully ripe. Mohammad Dzarul Hakim explained that although many believe grapes can only thrive in four-season countries, they actually originate from the Middle East, which has a hot and dry climate. Malaysia's year-round warm climate is suitable for grape cultivation, despite the challenges posed by fertilisation and pest control in the country's hot and humid conditions.
'When humidity is high, grapevines are prone to fungal infections, but spraying certain pesticides every two weeks can help suppress the growth of these parasites,' he added.