HER steps are small but quick. Hazrita Mohd Hatta, looking elegant in a modern pink baju kurung, is beaming as she approaches.
Closer now, she calmly places her right hand over her chest, a subtle, apologetic gesture that hints at a deeper story.
“Let me just catch my breath,” her sweet voice comes out between breaths. “I just had an angioplasty procedure done last week.”
It’s hard to reconcile this frank admission with her effervescent and bubbly personality.
Had she not mentioned the procedure, no one would have guessed that this petite 52-year-old art curator is still recovering from a recent medical intervention.
“I will have another procedure in October,” shares Rita, as she is fondly known, as she leads the way to the art exhibition her company, Art Market Malaysia, is co-organising with the Home Affairs Ministry.
There is no sign of worry or distress on her face as she shares the news. Her eyes beam with enthusiasm as she takes in the setup of her exhibition.
The angioplasty isn’t even the only health scare she has had; Rita is a stroke survivor – not once, but twice.
For those who know her well, she is living proof that a stroke does not spell an ending but, rather, is a call to a new beginning.
For those who know her well, Rita is living proof that a stroke does not spell an ending but, rather, is a call to a new beginning.
A story of resilience
The strength and resilience Rita shows today were not acquired overnight, not even after the stroke attacks. They were built long before these life-altering events.
“As the eldest of seven siblings, my journey began as early as the age of 10. I started by helping my family run our small business, selling beef at the market and assisting my father at his tyre shop,” she recalls.
While this upbringing instilled a fierce work ethic in her, Rita says it also nurtured her into a strong, healthy and resilient person.
Her professional journey began in hospitality. With her natural talent and good work ethic, she rose from a general role at a resort to assistant manager.
She eventually took over the food and beverage operations, diving headfirst into entrepreneurship which she successfully managed for a year.
“Fuelled by excitement and ambition, I ventured into other business opportunities. Like many young people, I believed I had all the answers – but that confidence combined with my lack of experience became my downfall,” she recalls.
Though painful, it was a powerful and humbling lesson that Rita says shaped her understanding of resilience and growth.
Armed with a newfound drive and determination, she moved to Kuala Lumpur from Kuantan, Pahang, in search of new opportunities, and as fate would have it, she found her calling in event management.
She excelled, earning a significant income through sponsorships and learning every aspect of the business from the ground up.
By her own admission, she was a workaholic: “I could send out 50 emails or proposals a day with ease, without ever feeling overwhelmed.”
“Work was my passion, and I genuinely enjoyed every moment of it.”
A strong support system: Rita and her husband, Mohamed Hussein Mohamed Ahmed, 55, who is also her business partner, at one of their exhibitions.
The life-altering blow
Then, life dealt her another blow. A big one.
In May 2014, just three days after successfully running a major awards event, Rita suffered her first stroke, which left her partially paralysed and her speech impaired.
“I did shed a few tears – but only for a moment,” she says, her voice steady. “But deep down, I blamed myself. I kept wondering what I had done wrong.”
Rita admits that it was a painful and humbling chapter in her life, one that “not only challenged my body, but my spirit too.”
For her, the most challenging part of the journey was finding herself less able – physically limited, struggling to speak and unable to move as she once did. Life, as she knew it, had changed completely.
“I struggled to form sentences, and much of my memory faded. Every word felt distant and hard to reach,” Rita recalls.
“Speech had always been an essential part of my career, and to suddenly lose that ability was deeply painful. It felt as though a vital part of me had been taken away.”
However, thanks to her father’s firm upbringing that imbibed in her the spirit of never giving up, and the strong support from her family, especially her mother, Rita pushed through six months of treatment and physiotherapy.
Just two weeks into her recovery, she was able to start walking slowly, and after six months, the right side of her body gradually regained movement.
“My recovery was entirely through massage, acupuncture, and consistent physiotherapy,” she adds.
One month after her recovery treatment, Rita went back to work. She used only her left hand, but she persevered.
Then, in 2018, she suffered a second stroke.
“Even now, I still struggle to write properly and can only write my name,” she admits, adding that she also misses driving.
But for Rita, the biggest challenge was not physical; it was emotional and professional. The career woman who could once give 150% to her work felt that the strokes meant she could only manage 50%.
“The thought of a regular nine-to-five job felt impossible, especially on days when my energy is low and I need to rest,” she recalls.
A family built on strength: Rita (seated, in black) with her loved ones, from whom she not only received strong support but also invaluable lessons on resilience and growth.
The art of giving back
It was during this time that she started to reflect on her future. By some twist of fate, her sister Naizatulliza suggested she start an event called Art Market. Rita was skeptical.
“Art isn’t an easy business; it’s often dominated by those who are already successful and wealthy,” she recalls, thinking about her own situation with no capital or resources.
But with only a burning spirit, and her personal experience with the stroke as the driving force, Art Market Malaysia was born as a platform for aspiring local artists.
“I know, all too well, what hardship feels like, and that is why I am deeply committed to giving back to those who are less fortunate,” she says. “Even if I can’t do much, I do what I can, in my own way, with sincerity and heart.”
To date, Rita has organised more than 100 art exhibitions, and one of the most memorable was the Wonder Women Art Exhibition, which achieved nearly RM60,000 in art sales.
But for Rita, the company is more than a platform for showcasing art collections. It is her tool to educate, inspire, and spark awareness as she strives to curate exhibitions with bold, thought-provoking themes like corruption, safety, and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance).
Her recent exhibition was on anti-human trafficking and migrant smuggling, and she has a few more in the pipeline.
Despite her ongoing medical battles, Rita is now showing no signs of slowing down. She has, in fact, adapted her life, running her business at her own pace and schedule while prioritising a healthy diet and daily walks.
And she remains as ambitious as ever, dreaming of taking Art Market Malaysia to international exhibitions in France and London, the United Kingdom.
【全文结束】
