GC Up Close & Personal with Dato' Mohd Radzi Manan, Chairman of MYBOS on the rise of nautical tourism in Malaysia

Photo: Dato' Mohd Radzi Manan.

Words: Raja Izz

Thailand has Phuket. Singapore has deep marina infrastructure that has taken decades and considerable political will to build. Indonesia has Bali and with it, the kind of aspirational imagery that sells itself. So where, precisely, does Malaysia stand in this regional race for yachting supremacy? And more pointedly: does it have what it takes not just to compete, but to lead?

These are not comfortable questions. But they are exactly the kind that GC takes to the men who are positioned to answer them.

Dato' Mohd Radzi Manan is not a newcomer to this conversation. With over two decades in the maritime industry, a tenure as former President of the Malaysian Yacht Club, and a seat on the board of the ASEAN Yachting Association, he is, by any measure, the architect of Malaysia's most serious attempt yet at staking its claim on the regional marine stage. As Chairman of the Malaysia International Boat Show (MYBOS), he presided over a 2025 edition that by all accounts landed well above expectations — over 2,800 visitors, 42 exhibitors from 12 countries, a royal opening by His Royal Highness the Sultan of Kedah, and two landmark moments that will shape the industry for years: the inaugural launch of the Malaysia Yacht Code under the Langkawi International Yacht Registry, and a Malaysia Yachting Conference that brought the region's most consequential marine stakeholders into the same room.

Dato' Mohd Radzi Manan giving his speech at the Malaysia Yachting Conference at the St Regis Hotel, Langkawi on 2 April 2026.

Photo credit: MYBOS'26

For MYBOS 2026, the ambition has been raised further still. Held from 2nd to 5th April at the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club, this edition carries a sharper institutional intent — to position Malaysia not merely as a participant in Southeast Asia's luxury maritime conversation, but as its premier address.

GC Editor-in-Chief sat with Dato' Radzi to understand what that actually means. We asked him about Langkawi's future as the show's permanent home, whether Malaysia's yachting culture has finally reached a genuine turning point or is still working against an inherited indifference, and what he would say to the young, ambitious Malaysian standing on the dock today, looking out at the water and wondering where to begin.

The answers, as you will find below, are worth the journey to Langkawi.

Dato' Mohd Radzi Manan in conversation with GC.

GC extends its appreciation to Dato' Mohd Radzi Manan for this invaluable contribution to our ongoing exploration of leadership and culture.