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ASEAN Trend 

Malaysians Hooked on New Media Protagonists 

Written by Ko Young-Kyung 

(Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Accountability & Governance Research at Sunway University, Malaysia) 

Young people in Malaysia are quickly abandoning social networking sites such as Facebook or Instagram and flock to video-sharing platforms like TikTok and YouTube. Being particularly popular with millennials who consume a plethora of videos on their smartphones, new Korean Wave content like “Spicy Ramen Mukbang (Eating Show),” “How to Make Dalgona Coffee,” or the “Any Song Challenge” have become viral hits all over the world. Due to social distancing measures, which began on March 18 to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, people have stayed at home for over two months and consume an ever-increasing number of videos on these new media platforms. 

   The genres produced by popular YouTubers range from videos on gaming workouts to clips about cooking, comedy, and many other topics. They directly reflect the interests of young people in Malaysia. While workout and cooking videos may appeal to those with a general interest in healthy living, their popularity is likely a result of young Malaysians’ desire to achieve a beautiful body. Due to Malaysia’s lockdown measures aimed at containing the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for videos about workouts one can do indoors has greatly increased. Popular Malaysian fitness trainers Jordan Yeoh and Joanna Soh each have nearly 2 million subscribers on their YouTube channels. Both have gained a massive following, Jordan Yeah with content catering to men hoping to achieve muscular knockout bodies, and Joanna Soh with videos about workouts and recipes for a healthy diet. Given the ease of watching English language content in Malaysia, where English is widely spoken, and taking into consideration the country’s population of 31 million people, this is certainly not a small number. 

   There is another YouTube channel that has gone viral among young Malaysians, and it is none other than JinnyBoyTV, run by Jin Lim, famous for his work as a radio DJ, and Reuben Kang, who works in the advertising industry. JinnyBoyTV, which started back in 2011, currently has nearly 1.1 million subscribers, and the channel has accumulated over 185 million total views. It gained popularity through its diverse content that includes parodies and interviews, sitcom-esque stories about couples, and feel-good family stories, to name but a few, and has firmly established itself as a main entertainment channel in Malaysia. When a short film produced by Jin Lim and Reuben Kang garnered a lot of attention, the two men created JinnyboyTV and continued to churn out new videos. Together, they created a series of short videos about current issues and life in Malaysia, and their ability to predict and cater to existing trends quickly boosted their popularity. Content based on the Korean Wave also frequently appeared on their channel, from a parody of PSY’s smash hit Gangnam Style to Spicy Sauce Mukbang videos. 

   Malaysia is home to Malay, Chinese, and Indian communities. In a society with such diverse ethnic, religious and language backgrounds, English language content, or content that offers a laugh by appealing to people’s shared interests and excluding anything that could cause offense, is particularly popular and quickly gains many subscribers. If you are curious about contemporary Malaysian society and young Malaysians’ culture, you can certainly start by searching for related news, but you will find more vivid information and learn more easily about the latest trends from channels and viral content on popular video-sharing platforms, as is the case anywhere around the world.

This content of this article may differ from the editorial direction of the ASEAN Culture House Monthly.