Merdeka Heroes: The 10 Malaysia community heroes who advocate the nation’s gentlemanly soul in 2025

Photo: GC

1. Y.A.M. Tunku Zain Al-Abidin ibni Tuanku Muhriz

Pillar: Nation-building & High Culture

Here stands a man - from the lineage that shapes the genesis of our nation’s identity - born to rule, yet choose instead to serve. Tunku Zain carries legacy like a sacred trust, wielding it not for privilege but for Malaysia's awakening. When he speaks of transparency in Parliament, palace walls tremble. When he conducts at the Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS, the nation's soul stirs.

Championing civic education, music, and transparency, he embodies the belief that power must always be married to responsibility. In every interaction, he reminds Malaysians: nobility is not just inherited - it is practised daily.

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Leon Jala & Idris Jala

Photo credit: The Game of Impossible

2. Dato' Sri Idris Jala

Pillar: Breakthrough Thinking

In boardrooms where others see dead ends, Idris Jala sees beginnings. As the commanding voice behind The Game of Impossible podcast, he challenges listeners to crush the fear of failure and pursue the seemingly impossible. Through father-son conversations, he explores leadership, business, and creativity, turning each episode into a masterclass of insight and courage.

His career reads like a catalog of corporate resurrections: turning around Malaysia Airlines, transforming Shell’s global operations, and helping governments operate with precision. When Idris walks into chaos, chaos surrenders. Every conversation he leads on the podcast embodies masculine leadership not as chest-thumping bravado, but as steely confidence, strategic brilliance, and the quiet power to move mountains.

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3. Datuk Seri Bernard Chandran

Pillar: Cultural Elegance & Fashion Innovation

For three decades, Bernard Chandran has been Malaysia's ambassador to the world's most exclusive runways. His needle doesn't just sew fabric - it weaves our heritage into haute couture that makes Paris gasp and Milan applaud.

When international royalty wear his songket-inspired gowns, they don't just wear fashion - they become walking billboards for Malaysian magnificence. He turned tradition into triumph, proving that our ancestors' artistry can conquer any catwalk.

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Photo credit: @thissyed | Instagram

4. Syed Mohamed Arif

Pillar: Youth Leadership & Governance

In the halls where Malaysia's future leaders are forged, Syed Mohamed Arif stands guard. As former President of the Perdana Fellows Alumni Association, he doesn't just train minds - he sculpts souls for service.

His mission burns with revolutionary fire: to ensure that Malaysia's tomorrow is led not by politicians, but by statesmen. Every young leader he mentors carries a piece of his uncompromising vision for a nation that serves its people, not itself.

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Photo credit: KM Photoclickz

5. Bon Zainal

Pillar: Fashion Advocacy & Cultural Commentary

Bon Zainal wages war against mediocrity, one perfectly tailored suit at a time. For decades, he has stood as the guardian of Malaysian men's dignity, ensuring that when we dress, we honor both ourselves and our nation.

His battle cry echoes through every fitting room: "A Malaysian gentleman's appearance is his nation's flag made flesh." Through his relentless advocacy, wearing Malaysian tailoring became an act of patriotic rebellion against foreign fashion colonialism.

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Photo credit: Raymond Lai

6. YBM Tengku Sri Kelana D'Raja Dato Sri Raja Rezza Shah

Pillar: Fashion Event Leadership

When Raja Rezza Shah founded KL Men's Fashion Week, he didn't just create an event - he declared war on the world's fashion capitals. His vision was audacious: to make Kuala Lumpur a name whispered with reverence in Milan, Paris, and New York.

Through sheer force of will and impeccable taste, he transformed Malaysia's men's fashion landscape from provincial to powerful, proving that vision, when married to determination, can move mountains - and runways.

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Photo credit: @tengkufahadshah.fc | Instagram

7. Y.A.M. Tengku Arif Temenggong Tengku Fahad Muadzam Shah

Pillar: Sportsmanship

In a world where status is too often measured by titles and possessions, Tengku Fahad stands apart - not because of the crown he could claim, but because of the connections he chooses to cultivate. His vision is simple yet profound: sport is not just a game, it is a language that unites people across backgrounds, beliefs, and borders.

Through his initiatives - whether in nurturing young talents, championing local leagues, or fostering partnerships between sports bodies and communities - he has redefined what it means to lead with both charisma and conviction. Tengku Fahad’s brand of gentlemanly influence is not one of lofty speeches, but of rolled-up sleeves, handshakes at the sidelines, and a genuine investment in the dreams of others. In his hands, sport becomes a bridge, and community becomes a team where everyone has a place.

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Photo credit: Selangor Polo Club

8. Orang Besar Istana Selangor, YDM Engku Maharaja Lela Setia Paduka Dato’ Syed Budriz Putra Jamalullail

Pillar: Gentleman's Sport

Leading the Royal Malaysia Polo Association, Engku Syed Budriz commands the field where kings have played for centuries. On horseback, thundering across the green with mallet raised, he embodies the warrior-gentleman ideal that has defined nobility since time immemorial.

Polo isn't just sport in his hands - it's living history, where the ancient codes of chivalry meet the modern arena. Every charge he leads whispers of cavalry officers and medieval knights, proving that true aristocracy is measured not in bloodlines, but in the courage to lead from the front.

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Photo: GC x Aston Martin

9. Wak Doyok

Pillar: Style Influence & Grooming Culture

Rising from ordinary beginnings to extraordinary influence, Wak Doyok did more than master the art of personal style - he democratized dignity. He became living proof that gentlemanly grooming is not vanity, but self-respect made visible, a quiet declaration that a man honours himself before asking the world to do the same.

His journey, from humble roots to becoming a national style icon, burns with the unmistakable fire of the Malaysian dream: that excellence bows to no pedigree, and that true class is measured not by birthright, but by the standards we dare to set for ourselves. Wak Doyok showed that any man - regardless of where he begins - can carry himself like an aristocrat if he has the courage to raise his bar so high it intimidates even him. In doing so, he reminds us that style, like dignity, is not inherited - it is earned, refined, and worn with quiet pride.

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10. Leow Ho Keng

Pillar: Community of craftsmanship

Leow Ho Keng is a man who has turned the brotherhood into a stage for style and solidarity. As the co-founder of Gentlemen Mamak, he reimagines the casual Malaysian gathering spot not just as a place for teh tarik and roti canai, but as a hub where conversations on craftsmanship, tradition, and community values naturally thrive.

Under his vision, Gentlemen Mamak champions timeless quality over trends, spotlighting artisans, tailors, watchmakers, and small-scale craftsmen whose work embodies enduring elegance. Ho Keng’s grassroots approach makes style and refinement accessible - proving that you don’t need a trust fund to live well; you just need authenticity and respect for heritage.

More than a style advocate, Ho Keng is a cultural bridge - bringing together people from all walks of life to appreciate the beauty of the everyday, from the perfectly brewed kopi to the perfectly tailored jacket. His gatherings blend Malaysian warmth with gentlemanly discipline, quietly fostering an appreciation for details, manners, and meaningful connection.

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Epilogue: The Unbreakable Chain

These ten heroes didn't choose comfortable lives -they chose consequential ones. While others pursued profit, they pursued purpose. While others chased fame, they forged legacy.

They are, akin to Malaysia's Knights of the Round, in the war for relevance, respect, and remembrance. Each one carries a piece of our national DNA, keeping it alive not in museums but in the living, breathing reality of excellence.

Their true heroism lies not in what they've achieved, but in what they've preserved: the belief that Malaysia can produce men of substance in an age of surface, leaders in an era of followers, gentlemen in a time of pretenders.

Malaysia doesn't just exist. Malaysia excels. And excellence, once awakened, is unstoppable.