For their 10th anniversary, Dr Jezamine Lim Iskander and Harith Iskander took some time to themselves and checked into a resort in Ipoh, Perak.
“The incredible scenery and privacy has made it one of our favourite getaway spots in the country – this was during the restricted movement control order (RMCO) so there were certain restrictions in place but fortunately we could travel, ” recalls Dr Jezamine during an interview and photo shoot at DeGem’s flagship store in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.
The 37-year-old medical entrepreneur, doctor by training and mother-of-three is here, at DeGem, to talk about celebrating the couple’s milestone of going into their second decade of marriage and what she’s been up to recently.
And that’s plenty – apart from raising three kids, Zander Xayne, Alessandrea Jayne and Zydame Xayne who are eight, seven and five respectively – the amicable Dr Jezamine also runs a company that researches stem cell therapy.
“Cell Biopeutics Resources is a centralised and comprehensive hub for accessing global stem cell therapies in one centre, ” explains Dr Jezamine, who has a medical degree and a phD in stem cell and tissue engineering. “We will be the frontier in producing, manufacturing, commercialising stem cell related therapy or products upon successful completion of clinical trials.
“We focus on delivering stem cell therapy treatments for unmet medical needs, regenerative diseases and anti-ageing, ” she adds.
She also co-founded The Joke Factory and manages her husband, comedian Harith Iskander’s engagements.
On top of all this, Dr Jezamine also finds time for philanthropic endeavours through The Hope Branch.
“It came about when a friend on the frontlines was running out of PPEs, and while I wasn’t sure how to help out, I did have business associates in China, ” she says. “We actually booked containers of PPEs and I used my own funds to pay the down payment”.
They started to raise funds as the demand grew, from supplying PPEs to providing food.
“Before the MCO we were involved in delivering meals to the homeless and underprivileged and people already recognised us for that and were already reaching out then. So we thought, let’s form something and we called it The Hope Branch”.
For now, the demand for PPEs has slowed down and they are focusing on essential goods.
“Now it’s food, especially for the visually impaired who can’t cope because many of them depend on income from giving massages, ” says Dr Jezamine.
They also help differently abled individuals (OKU) fill in the paperwork to apply for assistance from the government, as many do not know where to begin and would have difficulty getting their forms to the correct channels.
“We provide cooked meals, diapers, baby milk, basic needs. Initially I was the one who was cooking when we first started. It was 1,000 to 1,200 meals a week and I was just cooking in my house, ” she says. “It started becoming bigger and bigger and we realised we couldn’t keep using our own money and manpower, but I loved doing it and it kept me going”.
Dr Jezamine and Harith even roped their kids in by getting them to help pack snacks for frontliners.
“It became a family affair, we packed dry snacks, cakes and drinks for them, ” she says, adding that she constantly reminds herself to be grateful for what they have.
“Even though my business ist a start-up, I do have a consulting job and that’s how I survive. On Harith’s front, we’ve been lucky and his shows are virtual. So we thought we should give back and not be selfish and that’s how it started, by being grateful”.
Having been married for 10 years and dating for two years prior, Dr Jezamine has been through her fair share of marital ups and downs.
Even before they tied the knot, they were going through a lot as a couple when Harith’s parents passed on.
“We have gone through a lot of ups and downs, from when his parents passed, we shared a lot of down moments. But with that we managed to pull each other through and that’s when I knew him the best, when things were at their worst, ” she recalls.
“Marriage, it’s hard work. I never even thought that I would get married as I’m very career-minded, I never thought I would have three kids. This is a huge achievement for me, that I found that one person who understands me”.
As a couple, they have ground rules which include never going to bed angry and making sure they spend quality time together.
“We promised each other to never go to bed angry, which meant sometimes we would be having conversations until 4am, ” she laughs, adding, “After the kids were born, however, we would resolve things in five minutes.
“Secondly to make sure there’s always sparks between us, until today we still have, a minimum of once a week allocated for date night. During the MCO when we couldn’t go out, we were ‘dating’ on our balcony, just chatting in the dark. Sometimes we just take walks together at night”.
Throughout the course of their marriage, it’s the small gestures from her husband that Dr Jezamine has cherished the most.
“Out of the blue he’ll write me letters, he’s really sweet that way, ” she says, beaming. “I’ll find them around, sometimes I’m out the whole day and I find a nice surprise waiting for me”.
“He’ll buy me coffee and desserts too, ” she adds.
Going into their second decade of marriage and their 13th year together, Dr Jezamine has several goals, which include not losing her wedding ring (again).
Laughing, she relates how she has lost her ring several times but it always turns up somewhere around the house.
Apart from her wedding ring, jewellery does hold sentimental value for her.
“I remember my milestones that way, I’ve got this nice pendant, I still remember it’s from my second Valentine’s Day with Harith, I remember that, it does signify the milestone. Then there’s a pair of earrings from when Zander was born and so on”.
This year, she hopes to focus on experiences, particularly hiking and trekking.
“We work so hard and sometimes we actually forget simple things like nature, experiences and making memories. I’m going to do more stuff like that, such as trekking and hiking, ” says Dr Jezamine.
“I’m a puteri lilin, I don’t like going under the sun, I don’t like getting dirty, but my first hike this year was a good experience, breaking barriers, getting over my fears and it just made me feel free and light”.
Apart from focusing on her medical business, Dr Jezamine continues to put family first, making it a point to spend time together as a family, and to spend quality time with each child separately.
“They appreciate that, and they tell you a lot of secrets as well, even about each other, ” she adds.
“I really enjoy motherhood which I never thought I would, and my kids have really taught me a lot. They have made me very organised, very disciplined. Sometimes when they fall and they just dust themselves off and pick themselves up, in a way I felt they are teaching me more. They are guiding me through this whole journey and during our down times we look at them and think ‘I have to work hard for you guys’, ” she says.
*Dr Jezamine is wearing jewellery from DeGem, check out more designs at https://www.degemdiamond.com.
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