Malaysian Rizal Khalif goes from kampung boy to Arctic explorer

Proudly holding up the Malaysian flag after completing the 300km journey across the Arctic, from Norway to Sweden, on a dog sleigh. Photos: Rizal Khalif

It all started 29 years ago when he was studying at the Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman boarding school in Ipoh.

Mohd Khairizal Mohd Khalif (or Rizal Khalif as he is more popularly known), then 13, would take the mel malam (local night train) to visit his friends in Johor and Butterworth during the school holidays.