By The Billions’ Malayan Xpedition Brings 4x4s and SUVs Back to Their Natural Habitat
Participants drove through Pahang’s most scenic routes and rugged paths in the name of adventure and community.
Away from the comforts of tarmac and GPS, experiential agency By The Billions (BTB) presents its 2026 Malayan Xpedition, a six-day experience where around 250 adventurers set out to explore Malaysia’s untamed beauty.
The journey began in Subang Jaya, where BTB’s Adventure Festival set the stage for the expedition. Preparing the vehicles—from Jeeps to GWM SUVs, including the all-terrain Tank 500 HEV—for the 630-kilometre journey was a network of technical partners, such as BFGoodrich, Pedders Malaysia, Tough Dog Suspension Malaysia, and Redsprings Malaysia. Their contributions supported the demands of overlanding, from traction and suspension to electrical systems and recovery equipment. GWM itself returned as the main presenting sponsor, homegrown Malaysian brand Nakawan, served as the Official Apparel Partner, and carry gear brand ALPAKA collaborated with BTB to develop a product that is suitable for both adventure and automotive use. Mandatory technical inspections and dedicated medical and recovery teams further ensured participants could navigate the terrain.
The next day, the convoy set off into the jungle. Part of the greater Taman Negara landscape, the 130-year-old rainforest is one of the oldest tropical rainforests in the world. It is here in this ancient realm, on waterlogged dirt paths and steep terrain, where the cars showed off their true capabilities. Along the way, the convoy also set out to plant fig tree saplings along Sungai Kerum as part of BTB’s conservation initiatives.
“Out there, nobody asked what you do or where you came from. We crossed the same rivers, cooked over the same fires and slept beneath the same ancient trees. The rainforest gave us something the city rarely does: time with each other. That is what the Malayan Xpedition is: the stories, the time, and the moments shared,” said Ned Nazlan, founder of By The Billions.
Upon leaving the forest, participants enjoyed a sumptuous closing dinner at Cherating, courtesy of Tourism Pahang.
Among the participants were actor Tony Eusoff, Dewakan’s Chef Wayne Wong and Jalinan’s Chef Aaron Khor, alongside adventurers who travelled from countries including New Zealand, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and a contingent of Singapore Jeep owners, who took on the more adventurous track. Ultimately, Malayan Xpedition is as much about the people encountered along the way as the vehicles themselves. By bringing together diverse communities and giving drivers the opportunity to test their vehicles beyond familiar roads, it champions a more meaningful form of adventure—one defined by camaraderie, discovery and a responsibility to leave the places explored better than before.
