The wooden door opens to a tall 178cm, lean-framed gentleman in a long-sleeved chambray Western shirt and loose-fitting faded jeans.
His well-trimmed, all-white beard and salt-and-pepper, back-combed hair complement his welcoming demeanour as he ushers me in with his left hand.
The small office in Wangsa Maju is bedecked with cowboy paraphernalia—from saddles and whips to boots and hats.
Even the choice of furniture, such as chairs with horse carriage wheels as sidearms and a bulky solid wood coffee table, exudes an old Western feel. Though without his cowboy hat and boots, Datuk Dr Nek Abdul Rahman Saleh is exactly how I remember him from our brief encounter in the dense forest of Lojing Highlands Rafflesia Conservation Park in Kelantan three years ago.
Then, he was in his full outdoor cowboy gear, on his way out of the Rafflesia trail while my group was just 15 minutes into it.
He was naturally friendly, with no airs, despite his “out of the ordinary” attire, encouraging us and hinting at what lay ahead. Words from my group members let me know that he was no ordinary man himself. He is a Malaysian Cowboy. But the “cowboy” in Datuk Nek Man, as he’s fondly known, goes deeper than his appearance.
The Cowboy Within
“It’s a lifestyle, not just the attire,” says the 68-year-old former Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), of a passion that began even before he retired from the force in 2011.
“Then, I led a double lifestyle, switching between the police uniform while on duty and my cowboy outfit at other times,” Datuk Nek Man adds.
However, his passion for everything cowboy did not start from any Western movies or TV series, nor did it begin early in his life in his hometown in Kelantan.
“It was in 1995 when I met a guy onboard a flight to Bali, who shared information about wild horse’s milk and its beneficial properties,” he recalls.
Intrigued, Datuk Nek Man made a detour to meet the gentleman at his house in Jakarta, Indonesia, to learn more about the milk.
He returned home with a fiery passion to learn more about horse milk, aiming to start his own business, which he did a year later.
For the benefit of his business and interest, Datuk Nek Man furthered his studies in medical law, project management, and subsequently, a DBA-based equine business in the United Kingdom.
“My research and study on horse milk led me to learn more about horses and the equine world. The more I knew, the more in love I became with the equine world and the more ‘cowboy’ I became,” he says.
His name became a household name among horse communities in the country, and he started receiving invitations to represent Malaysia on the global horse stage.
One notable invitation was to the Turkmen Horse Festival held in Turkmenistan in 2013.
“That was when I got the title Malaysian Cowboy, which was given by fellow participants from the United States of America,” Datuk Nek Man says.
“From then on, wherever I go, I would be introduced as the Malaysian Cowboy,” he adds.
However, that is not the only title he holds. Datuk Nek Man is the president of the ASEAN Horse Society, the patron of Persatuan Aktiviti Kuda Kelantan, an advisor to the Thailand-American Cowboy Association, and a committee member of the Indonesian Thoroughbred Association.
A True-blue Cowboy
“Don’t you feel awkward or out of place when you’re the only one dressed in cowboy attire, while others are in normal Malaysian clothes?” I ask.
“Nothing. Tak ada rasa apa-apa, this comes naturally to me,” answers Datuk Nek Man. “But of course, I wear them according to the occasion—formal, outdoor, or casual. Cowboys don’t wear faded jeans and spurs all the time,” he adds.
When asked how many boots and hats he has, he simply answers, “A lot.”
At his office alone, he easily has about 20 pairs of boots and 10 hats, all of different shapes, colours, and materials, which he refuses to disclose the price of his collections.
However, he doesn’t keep the passion to himself. His home, which sits on a 5-acre vegetable farm in Bentong, Pahang, is his version of a cowboy’s ranch, complete with a stable and a paddock for his horses.
“My son and his family, who stay with us, are the second generation of the Malaysian Cowboy’s family,” Datuk Nek Man says.
With his son and daughter-in-law taking over the business, Datuk Nek Man uses it to his advantage by accepting invitations from horse societies worldwide.
“All that travelling requires me to keep fit,” he says.
While horse riding gives him a total body workout, Datuk Nek Man also walks 5 km and watches his diet, though he doesn’t have a strict diet regime.
“Most of the time, I walk barefoot and once in a while, I will hug trees. These two are good for discharging the positive-negative ions,” he explains.Asked about the most valuable lesson he learned from the horses, Datuk Nek Man says, “When you stumble, take one deep breath and saddle up. Because, if you don’t and choose to stay longer on the ground, the horse won’t wait for you. It runs forward. Life is like that.” – Zalina Mohd Som
