'Food forest' grows community spirit at 1Razak Mansion

KUALA LUMPUR: The atmosphere behind Block B of 1Razak Mansion in Salak South was lively on Wednesday morning.

The laughter of elderly residents from various ethnic backgrounds could be heard from afar as they gathered at the open space to tend to vegetables, fruits and herbs they have been growing for the past eight months.

The site, aptly named the 'Food Forest', has become more than just a place to grow fresh produce. It has evolved into a space where neighbours come together, exercise, share gardening skills and enjoy the fruits of their labour.

"Look over there. I planted that area three months ago, and the chillies have already started growing. There are quite a lot of them," said 75-year-old Siti Hanah Ahmad, pointing to a small plot at one corner of the site.

Another resident, Azni Saharin, 67, said she was delighted to see the fruits of their efforts.

"It is wonderful to see what we have grown. Not only does it help us save on household expenses, but we also get to share our gardening and cooking skills," she said, pointing to a misai kucing plant with the aid of her walking stick.

For 64-year-old Alice Fernandez, the Food Forest is also a place to relax and connect with her neighbours.

"It's a good way to connect with nature and relax the mind. Without this space, residents would just be stuck at home with not much to do, which is not good for their mental well-being.

"In fact, we also have the opportunity to cook and enjoy nasi ulam together, which was introduced by our Malay neighbours. We enjoyed the process of making it and were amazed that we could come together to appreciate our traditional food," she said.

BRINGING AN ABANDONED SPACE TO LIFE

It is hard to imagine that the 560-square-foot Food Forest was once an abandoned site overgrown with weeds and bushes.

Today, it has become a favourite spot for residents to relax, socialise and share their harvests.

1Razak Mansion Management Corporation (MC) chairman Anthony Tan said residents previously avoided the area as it was located near a hall often used for funeral ceremonies and a rubbish room that sometimes emitted unpleasant odours.

"However, since the beginning of this year, in January, after the site was cleaned up and transformed into a Food Forest, it has become a source of pride for the residents of 1Razak Mansion and our favourite place to spend time outdoors," he told Bernama.

He said the project had so far introduced more than 80 species of plants, vegetables and herbs, involving 60 residents.

"Besides greening the area around 1Razak Mansion, we are also working to reduce solid waste through recycling and composting, while preserving and rehabilitating the area around Sungai Kerayong, which is located next to our residential blocks," he said.

The initiative, spearheaded by PWD Smart FarmAbility Sdn Bhd founder and social entrepreneur Dr Billy Tang Chee Seng, 60, together with residents, is intended to go beyond conventional urban farming by combining food security, environmental rehabilitation, healthy ageing and community participation.

MORE THAN FOOD: SUPPORTING HEALTHY AGEING

In an urban environment where space is limited and ageing residents can easily become disconnected from community activities, Tang believes food production can help reconnect people with their neighbours, nature and a sense of purpose.

For him, the Food Forest is part of a broader Soil-U-tion Regenerative Ecosystem, which explores how food production, soil health and community participation can contribute to healthy ageing.

"It (the Food Forest) is more than an urban farming project. We aim to create a self-sustaining ecosystem where residents, especially elderly and low-income households, can grow nutritious food, learn about soil health, participate in environmental restoration and eventually develop skills that can generate income or improve their quality of life," he said.

He said weekly activities including Tai Chi, Zumba, cooking classes and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) services were also held for residents.

"Now even our Chinese residents enjoy eating nasi ulam made from what they have planted.

"This also creates a harmonious community, where the Food Forest can serve as a place for exchanging cultures and learning from each other," he said.

FROM FOOD FOREST 1.0 TO 2.0

Tang said the Food Forest at 1Razak Mansion represents Food Forest 1.0, a community-based model that combines food growing with participation by older residents, shared harvests, environmental stewardship, experiential learning and social regeneration.

He said both Food Forest 1.0 and the proposed Food Forest 2.0 form part of a broader Community Regeneration Infrastructure (CRI) approach, in which food production is used as an entry point to strengthen food security, community participation, environmental awareness and healthier living.

The next phase is envisioned at Lot 601 in Batang Kali, where Food Forest 2.0 is being developed as a healthy-ageing "living laboratory" and ESG-SDG Learning Centre.

The concept is intended to expand the model through regenerative food forests, biodiversity restoration, soil regeneration, experiential learning, intergenerational participation and a Food as Medicine pathway focused on nutrition, preventive-health awareness and healthier lifestyles.

It is also expected to explore opportunities associated with the silver economy, including ways for older people to continue contributing their knowledge, experience and skills.

Rather than viewing senior citizens solely as recipients of care, Tang said the model seeks to create enabling environments in which they can remain active participants, growers, learners, mentors and community stewards.

Food Forest 1.0 therefore provides a community-scale demonstration of the approach, while Food Forest 2.0 is intended to deepen its learning, measurement, research and replication potential.

A REGENERATIVE FOOD SYSTEM

Rather than functioning solely as a conventional community garden focused on planting and harvesting vegetables, Tang said the Food Forest concept was designed around a broader regenerative ecosystem that links food production with soil restoration, biodiversity, nutrition education, circular resource use and community participation.

"I don't do farming. Farming is very difficult. I innovate tools to connect people, nature and the planet. That's what I do," he said.

This philosophy also underpins the Soil-U-tion Regenerative Aquaponics Satellite Farm, one of the tools developed to bring food production and environmental learning into space-constrained settings such as residential communities, schools, elderly homes and welfare centres.

The aquaponics component creates a recirculating relationship between fish and plants.

Tang explained that tilapia raised in tanks naturally produce waste containing nutrients. Beneficial microorganisms within the system help convert nitrogen compounds into forms that can be taken up by plants.

"As the plants absorb these nutrients, they also help improve the quality of the circulating water before it returns to the fish tank, creating a natural nutrient cycle," he said.

The approach can be combined with soil-based growing systems, enabling communities to use both soil and soilless cultivation within an integrated food-production environment.

Tang said the objective was not merely to install agricultural equipment, but to create accessible tools through which communities could learn about food, water, soil, biodiversity, waste reduction and resource efficiency through practical experience.

FROM LIVING SOIL TO HEALTHY COMMUNITIES

Tang said the Soil-U-tion concept extends beyond the production and consumption of fresh food.

Its broader Food as Medicine pathway explores the relationship between healthy soil, nutritious food, dietary diversity, fermentation, gut-health literacy and community well-being.

The concept describes this progression as:

"Living Soil → Living Food → Living Gut → Living Minds → Living Communities."

Tang said controlled fermentation and fermented foods could form part of future learning and research activities examining how food production, nutrition and microbial processes interact.

The concept does not position food or fermented products as substitutes for medical treatment. Instead, it seeks to connect regenerative agriculture with nutrition education, preventive-health awareness, healthy ageing and community well-being.

"The bigger vision is to help people understand that soil, food, health, education and community are not separate issues. They are interconnected," Tang said.

Another tool introduced to residents is the Eco-HOPE Box, a compact household growing system designed for people with little or no previous farming experience.

Residents are taught basic soil stewardship, moisture management and simple pH monitoring, as well as harvesting methods that allow suitable vegetables to continue regenerating instead of removing the entire plant after a single harvest.

Household resources such as rice-washing water may also be reused where appropriate as part of the growing process, helping participants understand practical links between food production, water use, resource recovery and waste reduction.

Tang said these activities form part of the wider ESG-SDG Learning Centre approach, where sustainability is learned not only through theory but through everyday actions that can be observed, practised and, where possible, measured.

Under the Community Regeneration Infrastructure model, he said the aim was ultimately to move communities from recipients to stewards, from food insecurity towards greater food resilience, and from sustainability awareness towards practical action.

RESTORING BIODIVERSITY

Beyond food production, Tang said the team had observed changes in the immediate environment since the Food Forest was established.

He said bees began appearing around the project within four months, while birds and earthworms were also observed returning to the area.

"The residents here were very excited to see the Food Forest surrounded by bees and butterflies.

"It has demonstrated that biodiversity can coexist even within densely developed urban communities if suitable conditions are created," he said.

Tang said the Food Forest was also being developed as an educational space and learning centre, particularly for corporations seeking to practise Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles.

University students have also been brought into his wider network of community projects for internships involving human nutrition and sustainability.

"Rather than placing students within a single discipline or organisation, I want them to experience an 'internship ecosystem', where food, health, the environment and community development intersect," he said.

"At 1Razak Mansion, the residents themselves are part of that learning process. They are taught how to assess soil conditions, maintain plants and understand the principles behind the system, rather than simply being given equipment and told what to grow."

For Tang, the objective of the Food Forest is not necessarily to make the community completely self-sufficient in food, but to build enough knowledge, skills and community capacity for residents to respond when food affordability or supply becomes a challenge.

"At least if anything happens, they can grow food for their community," he said.

TAG: 1Razak Mansion, Food Forest, gardening, vegetable, herb, aquaponics, residents, Siti Hanah Ahmad, elderly, community, well-being, ageing, PWD Smart FarmAbility, Billy Tang, plants, social, Malaysia, news, NST