AT the 2025 MACP Awards held recently, the spotlight didn’t just shine on industry legends — it also illuminated a cultural shift unfolding across Malaysia’s music scene.
At the heart of that shift stands two young singer-songwriters — Zubir Khan, 25, and Firdhaus Farmizi, 27.
While Zubir sings in Tamil, Firdhaus sings Mandarin songs.
Zubir’s breakout hit, ‘Yennode Macha’ (With My Buddy), was crowned Highest-Performing Tamil Song at the event, cementing him as an unlikely yet compelling new face of multilingual Malaysian pop.
What makes Zubir remarkable isn’t only the award; it’s the fact that a Malay singer has become a Tamil-language phenomenon by pure audience demand.
“I actually released Malay songs before this,” he said after the event.
“But my Malay fans keep asking me to sing in Tamil. They already love hearing me that way, so I’ll continue making Tamil songs.”
BREAKING THE MOULD
It’s a statement that sums up Malaysia’s current music moment: borders dissolving, languages overlapping and audiences embracing what feels authentic rather than what fits industry expectations.
Zubir is refreshingly honest about why he gravitated towards Tamil compositions.
The Malay music arena, he admits, is crowded.
“There are just so many artistes already,” he says. “I wanted to offer something different and Tamil songs became that unique path for me.”
That decision paid off. ‘Yennode Macha’ didn’t just rack up streams, it became an identity.
“Most people who meet me call me ‘macha’,” he joked. “The song is iconic to me now.”
But with iconic success comes pressure. As 2026 approaches, Zubir is crafting new material, but he refuses to pretend he can simply “outdo” the hit that defined his brand.
“I know I can’t beat ‘Yennode Macha’,” he said.
“But I’ll give my best and release songs that sincerely represent me.”
While Zubir merges Malay identity and Tamil soundscapes, Firdhaus blends Malay upbringing with Chinese pop aesthetics, bridging audiences across Malaysia, Singapore and even China.
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Firdhaus received the Highest-Performing Chinese Song award for his single ‘Zai Jia Na Gong He Guo Li Hun’ (Divorce in Ghana).
His presence at MACP 2025 wasn’t just symbolic — it showcased how the award stage has become a meeting point for artistes who defy traditional linguistic lanes.
He also took to the stage to perform. Dressed in understated elegance, Firdhaus commanded the stage with the polished emotiveness fans adore, proving that his soft-spoken persona belies a world-ready star power.
Best known for his Mandarin mega-hit ‘Gu Niang’, which transformed him into a TikTok and Douyin sensation, Firdhaus represents the same multilingual spirit embodied by Zubir.
Industry insiders note that Firdhaus’s inclusion in the ceremony programming reflects MACP’s recognition of Malaysia’s expanding music ecosystem — one where virality, multilingualism and cross-cultural artistry drive contemporary relevance.
NIGHT OF LEGENDS AND RISE OF THE NEW GUARD
While their wins mark a breakthrough for new blood, the night also belonged to an undisputed titan of Malaysian songwriting: Datuk M. Nasir.
The industry “sifu” once again claimed Highest-Earning Songwriter, and ‘Tiara’ — his enduring classic — took home Highest-Earning Foreign Song.
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“I’m grateful to God and I thank my family, my wife and children,” he said in a humble acceptance speech.
But even as he collected accolades, M. Nasir made time to celebrate the next generation.
He championed fellow composer Eddie Hamid, this year’s Nadi Cipta recipient, praising him in a way only a true maestro could.
“I’m a fan of his,” M. Nasir declared. “No one else can create songs like Eddie. If he listens to something and says it’s not good, that song will have a hard time becoming a hit.”
Eddie, whose career stretches back to the 1990s, was visibly moved by the recognition, especially after years of being branded as a composer of “kampung” or “leleh” songs.
“This is the biggest award of my career,” he said. “People used to call my work low-brow. But MACP proved that my compositions matter.”
His discography speaks for itself: ‘Rindu Serindu Rindunya’, ‘Dirantai Digelangi Rindu’, ‘Aduhai Kekasih’ and the recent viral hit ‘Cinta Setandan Pisang’.
Today, Eddie continues championing songs in the Kelantanese dialect, proudly carving out a cultural space few others dare to explore.
MALAYSIA’S MUSIC IDENTITY IS RAPIDLY EVOLVING
Apart from Zubir and Firdhaus, the presence of performers like Ella and Ezad Lazim created a striking portrait of Malaysia’s current soundscape — equal parts nostalgic, experimental and fearlessly hybrid.
What ties Zubir, Firdhaus, Eddie Hamid and M. Nasir together is their refusal to be boxed in.
One celebrates Tamil rhythms, another elevates Kelantanese dialect, one becomes a Mandarin music icon and another — having shaped entire generations — continues to mentor while breaking his own records.
Their success at the MACP Awards highlights an unmissable trend: Malaysia is entering a golden era of multilingual pop.
And in that era, authenticity — not language — determines who captures the nation’s heart.
If this year’s MACP Awards proved anything, it’s that Malaysia’s most exciting voices are no longer just singers — they’re cultural connectors rewriting the rules of what Malaysian music can be.
Among the winners which mirrored this rich tapestry of sounds are:
Highest-Performing Malay Song: ‘Sayunk I Love You’
Highest-Performing English Song: ‘Old Love’
Highest-Performing Chinese Song: ‘Zai Jia Na Gong He Guo Li Hun’
Highest-Performing Tamil Song: ‘Yennode Macha’
Highest-Performing Foreign Song: ‘Dawai’
Top Local Publisher: Taja Archive Sdn Bhd
Top Overall Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Sdn Bhd
Most Promising Young Composer: Zubir Khan
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
