BIRD BY BIRD

A celebrated savant of set design, Raja Malek's unique vision has transformed journey Malaysian theatre. His is a testament to the power of individuality and imagination

- Lynette Ow

With his signature middle-parted bob and Comme des Garçons outfit, Raja Khalid Raja Mohamed Iskandar Shah—better known as Raja Malek— cuts a stylish figure. Set designer, style icon, upcycling maverick, stylist, artist—the 65-year-old has been a protean figure for over three decades and shows no signs of slowing down. Those in the know reach out to him for his visual artistry in fashion, film and theatre—he is perhaps one of few Malaysian artists adopted and adored by both the old and new worlds of creatives. 

But for all his distinction, only a few know of his odyssey from talented hairdresser to savant set designer, celebrated around Malaysia for his work on productions such as Puteri Gunung Ledang (20062008), Ola Bola the Musical (2018-2019), Seven Voices (2019), and Fault Lines (2024).

It all began in 1979 London, where he pursued a hairstyling course and honed his skills over the next seven years. When he came back to KL in 1986, he built a hair salon business in KL Plaza—which moved to Concorde Hotel three years later, and attracted clients from all walks of life. It was here that he received a call from a production house, offering him a hairstyling job for a TV commercial for Bic Pen. “I wasn’t aware that you [could give] that kind of services. I just said ‘okay, I’ll do it,’” Malek shares.