Stories That Transcend Borders

Mohd Nizam Abdul Razak, CEO of Malaysian animation studio Monsta, opens up about being a kid at heart and finding creative inspiration in everyday objects

- Chong Jinn Xiung

Robots with the power to transform everyday objects into high-tech gadgets and teenagers with the power of the elements to fight evil— these are some of the imaginative characters Mohd Nizam Abdul Razak of Malaysia-based animation studio Monsta dreamed up for his shows. Monsta is behind several popular animated superhero TV series and movies, including BoBoiBoy and Mechamato.

A passionate storyteller, Nizam is a kid at heart who, as CEO, is just as responsible for strategising the company’s business decisions as he is for directing its creative approach. Often, he writes scripts and develops storylines with his team. In the second BoBoiBoy movie released in 2019, he even voiced the character of Papa Zola, one of the series’ main protagonists.

Monsta released its next series, Mechamato, in 2022. The movie was a massive hit in theatres, earning RM35 million at the box office and becoming Malaysia’s all-time highest-grossing local animated film.