Beyond those gates and in the driveway, however, is an unexpected and glorious view of verdant, lush greenery; aquatic life and 12 hives of stingless bees that diligently produce stingless bee trigona honey.
Known as “kelulut” in Malay, this type of honey has garnered a loyal following among those who sing the curative properties of this golden liquid magic.
Kushairy Shoib, 45, former Malaysia Airlines pilot, IT and finance practitioner, is the person to whom this accidental treasure of urban farming belongs.
“Call me Koosh,” he smiles warmly as FMT descends on this charming home mid-morning while distantly, lorries rumble on the roads with deliveries.
This has been his parents’ home for over a decade, a home that is also a haven of passionfruit vines, Brazil spinach, mulberry bushes, budding capsicum, firm green chillies, Indian oregano and rosemary.
Vegetation aside, one would also observe tilapia in tanks, crayfish in blue tubs, jewel-coloured Samurai fighting fish in glass jars and, interestingly, a gigantic 10-foot fish tank that houses a turtle rescued from the pet shop.
Apparently, its former owners believed that said turtle was destined for the dining table, but it has fortunately been rescued from that tragic fate by Koosh.
There is also an impressive, homemade aquaponic system that nourishes an overflowing abundance of various plants so beloved by communities that call them ‘ulam’.
Here, you’ll find dozens of varieties of plants, fruits and vegetables, such as daun selom (water celery), ulam raja (for which the nearest English equivalent is ‘king’s salad’), pegaga (Indian and Asiatic pennywort), kunyit (turmeric) and three varieties of lime.
And this is just a hobby garden.
“I only wanted the bees to help with pollination,” Koosh admits, not knowing that that decision to purchase a solitary hive three years ago to help his gardening hobby would lead him down the sweet path of unexpected benefit.
“My friend complained of pain in his knee, so I gave him a batch of the honey,” he explains.
A week later, the friend raved to Koosh that his knee had improved, and asked for two batches – one for another friend who suffered a similar ailment.
The rest, as the saying goes, is history.
Home is where the hive is
The home garden began as a simple hobby ten years ago, and his wife and son take pleasure in picking fresh fruits like the mulberries and the guava, to bring home or share with loved ones.
“My father worked as an estate manager in rubber and cocoa plantations in Perak in the early 1970s,” he relates.
“So, my siblings and I grew up loving nature and the outdoors.”
He inspects and holds out the propolis that acts as a protective layer for the bees – and Koosh relates how this particular propolis is in demand by cosmetics and body cream manufacturers.
As the bees flit about in flights of freedom in this self-contained hobby haven of natural goodness, it is a welcome sight to experience in today’s urban jungle.
“The bees are private and disciplined creatures,” he remarks and chuckles softly, as the Apicalis, Thorasica and Itama bees swarm and swoop.
“They’re up at 6am and back in by sunset.”
Money in honey
The demand from giving friends, family and neighbours has grown so much that he now houses 14 more hives in a part of a two-acre parcel of land in Hulu Langat, generously shared rent-free by the landowner.
Koosh can harvest several litres of honey each week, but the beauty lies in two things: firstly, the stingless bee trigona honey is said to be three to four times more potent than regular honey.
As the bees are so small, they can dive deeper past the stamen of a flower to really go deep and get the good nectar.
And two, as the different bees visit different plants and fruits in this magnificent garden, including the water guavas that have fallen to the ground from the enormous 25-foot tall tree and the ‘bunga lapan pagi’, this is where Koosh nails it.
He actually blends the three types of honey to make his special blend of trigona honey.
“Some of the hives produce a sourish honey, some a flowery honey, and some a sweet honey. So, as I blend, I combine the best of all the types of honey,” he says.
That recipe has clearly borne fruit.
From years spent in cockpit control in airplanes to finding joy in earthly urban farming, Koosh is thankful that this hive of activity has allowed for a taste of unexpectedly sweet success with a loyal and growing following.
It is evident he is rooted in the idea of self-sufficiency and he plans further ventures in communal vegetable gardens.
Here is an instance that happy outcomes can often come out of unplanned beginnings.
If you’re on the hunt for trigona honey, check out Koosh’s Instagram page here.