4 Pet Sheep. 36 Years. One Family Farm.
Before there was a programme, before there was a farm, there were 4 sheep kept as beloved pets behind a small home in Brunei. This is the story of Puan Siti Alawiyah and Sheikh Adnan, the couple behind Aliyah Rizq Holdings.
💬 Ask Us on WhatsApp View the Full Programme GuideMeet the Founders
Puan Siti Alawiyah
Founder, Aliyah Rizq Holdings
A Singaporean educator who taught Arabic and Islamic studies at Madrasah in Singapore before moving to Brunei, where she served at the Kementerian Halihwal Ugama Negara Brunei Darussalam (Ministry of Religious Affairs). She also ran private Quran classes for Singaporean families living in Brunei.
Her quiet dream of a retirement farm, anchored in a deep connection to her sheep, became the seed of Aliyah Rizq Holdings.
Sheikh Adnan
Co-Founder, Aliyah Rizq Holdings
An Arabic speaker who went straight from Singapore to Brunei, Sheikh Adnan spent decades in the Haj and Umrah industry. He served as the sole General Sales Agent (GSA) for Saudi Airlines in Brunei, the only entity authorised to issue Saudi Airlines tickets in the country at the time.
He later served as Chief Mutawif at Darussalam Holdings, the Sultan of Brunei's semi-government entity that owns hotels in Mecca and Madinah for Bruneian pilgrims. He subsequently built a successful fresh Rotab date import business, growing from 1 ton to over 20 tons annually.
Thirty-six years. That is how long Puan Alawiyah and Sheikh Adnan spent building their lives in Brunei while Singapore waited for them to return. They raised two children, Nabila and Ahmad Naufal, often juggling government work, frequent travel to Saudi Arabia, and childcare with no extended family nearby. Brunei residents became like family, because they had to.
When you hear 36 years, picture it: entire careers, two children growing up, decades of early mornings and long evenings, all in a country that was not their own. They were Singaporeans. And Singaporeans come home.
It Started With 4 Sheep: as Pets
While still working full-time in Brunei, Puan Alawiyah started keeping 4 sheep and goats (3 female, 1 male) in a small pen behind their home. This was not a side hustle or a business plan. These were beloved pets, kept because she loved them.
She gave each one a name. She called them by those names when she came home from work. When neighbours came to visit, the first question was often: "Siti, mana kambing yang namanya Lofa?" The sheep had neighbourhood celebrity status. That is the kind of care that was woven into Aliyah Rizq from the very beginning.
Nature took its course. One pregnancy became twins. Twins became triplets. Four sheep became too many for a small home pen. Space ran out. Puan Alawiyah had to give some of them away to friends, asking them to care for the animals she had named and raised. But the connection never left. You do not forget the animals you named.
The Names She Gave Her Sheep
"Kambing saya ini sebenarnya macam pet lah, bukannya macam kita nak ternak nak jadikan sumber pendapatan tambahan. Dia ada nama yang paling glamour."Puan Siti Alawiyah, Golden Nuggets Podcast EP 200
How a Retirement Dream Became a Real Farm
Thinking About Coming Home
Picture yourself in your fifties, far from home, asking what comes next. Puan Alawiyah kept returning to one thought: when they finally came home to Singapore, what would her days look like? Not an office. Not paperwork. Something tied to the land, to animals, to farming. "Hujan di negeri orang, kita mesti ada persediaan." Even when it rains in someone else's country, you must be ready for home. She was getting ready.
Daughter Nabila Marries Ashraf
The door opened at a wedding. When their daughter Nabila married Nur Ashraf, a young man with deep hands-on experience in livestock farming, Puan Alawiyah recognised something. She raised her retirement dream over a conversation. Ashraf heard it, considered it, and said three words: "InsyaAllah boleh." Three words that launched a 200-acre farm.
The Farm Takes Shape
What started as a quiet retirement plan became something that required land, livestock, permits, and years of work. Ashraf brought hands-on farming knowledge. Nabila brought discipline and commitment. Puan Alawiyah brought her vision and her 36 years of patience. Together, they built Aliyah Rizq Farm in Desaru: 200 acres of working farmland and over 1,000 heads of livestock.
Growing Beyond All Expectations
None of them planned for what actually happened. "Tak sangka business ini sampai sebesar ini," Puan Alawiyah shared, and you can hear the genuine surprise in the words. Ideas came from Ashraf. More came from Nabila. Each one got executed. The farm kept growing because the people running it never stopped.
The OwnerSheep Programme
As the farm matured, Aliyah Rizq Holdings developed a structured way for Singaporeans to participate in the farm's halal livestock ownership, under a Syariah-compliant framework. The OwnerSheep Programme was born.
Ashraf: The Man Running the Farm
What Puan Alawiyah says about her son-in-law
"Ashraf adalah antara orang yang gigih betul. Dia terus apa yang dia nak, dia selalu mesti dia capai. Saya sebagai orang tua rasa bangga, dia betul-betul berusaha, fokus untuk perniagaan dan kehidupan dia dan untuk family dia juga."
("Ashraf is truly one of the most hardworking people I know. Whatever he sets his mind to, he always achieves it. As a parent, I feel proud, he truly strives, focused on his business, his life, and his family.")
Nur Ashraf brings hands-on livestock farming expertise (pentanakan) that complements Puan Alawiyah's vision and Sheikh Adnan's decades of business experience. This is a family business in the truest sense, built on trust, competence, and shared values.
Two Pieces of Wisdom from Sheikh Adnan
After 36 years abroad, navigating Brunei, Saudi Arabia, Mecca, Madinah, Sheikh Adnan distilled his philosophy of life into two simple but profound ideas. He shares these with his children and grandchildren.
Live like a fish in the ocean, the fish lives in salty water, yet it remains fresh. It is never salty itself.
Lesson: No matter the environment around you, maintain your own identity and values. Do not let the world dissolve who you are.
Faith should be like iron, not like bread. Iron soaked in water for years remains heavy. Bread dissolves.
Lesson: A faith that can be diluted by pressure, trend, or temptation was never strong enough. Build it to last.
Why This Story Matters to You
Most halal ownership programmes are presented as structures and documents. This one began with a woman naming her sheep. When you join OwnerSheep, your $15,000 is not going to a corporate entity or an anonymous fund. It is going to the family that started with 4 pets named Lofa, Darling, and Honey, and spent 36 years earning the credibility to build something worthy of your trust.
Family-run, not corporate
Puan Alawiyah, Nabila, and Ashraf are directly involved in the farm. Your sheep are tended by people who started with 4 pets named Lofa, Darling, and Honey.
36 years of earned credibility
Sheikh Adnan's career spans Saudi Airlines GSA, Darussalam Holdings, and Rotab date imports. This is a family with deep roots in the Muslim business world.
Values you can verify
Their story has been shared publicly, on the Golden Nuggets Podcast, EP 200. Listen to it yourself. This is a family comfortable with transparency.
Singaporeans, for Singaporeans
Puan Alawiyah and Sheikh Adnan built this programme specifically knowing they were returning home. Their community is your community.
"Tak sangka business ini sampai sebesar ini."Puan Siti Alawiyah, when asked about Aliyah Rizq Holdings today
("We never imagined the business would grow this big.")
Listen to the full story yourself: Puan Siti Alawiyah and Sheikh Adnan shared their journey, in their own voices, on the Golden Nuggets Podcast, Episode 200: "They Started a Farm With Just 4 Sheep." Do not take our word for their character. Listen and decide for yourself.
Search "Golden Nuggets Podcast EP 200 Aliyah Rizq" on YouTube or Spotify. This is the kind of transparency that only honest people offer.
Ready to Be Part of This Story?
The OwnerSheep Programme gives you real livestock ownership, managed by a family farm with a 36-year legacy of integrity. Join the Aliyah Rizq family as an owner.
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