Exclusive Story by WeirdKaya - Proper accreditation to WeirdKaya and consent from the interviewee are required.Malaysia’s quintessential charm lies in its rich everyday culture, from the bustling pasar malams and 24-hour mamaks to the timeless kopitiams where locals gather over coffee and a set of kaya toast and half-boiled eggs.
Whether in vibrant Kuala Lumpur or a quaint old town, Malaysia holds a culture that is unlike elsewhere. While we’re familiar with big cities, did you know that our nation is home to some 800 towns, with many still waiting to be uncovered?
Small Towns Malaysia, helmed by business partners Ash Raja and Jonathan Dexter, is dedicated to capturing this side of Malaysia.
Through their lens shared on video-sharing platforms like TikTok, the 35-year-olds aim to document quaint towns and villages, showcasing the landscapes, warmth and people that make Malaysia one of a kind.
Each video feels like a journey home, reminding us that there’s more to Malaysia than meets the eye.
From schoolmates to business partners
While Ash and Jonathan have known each other since secondary school, their friendship only blossomed in college, thanks to a photography elective in their course.
Armed with their own cameras, they began experimenting with visual storytelling, which quickly gained attention.
People liked our photos and started engaging us for jobs. What started as side jobs to earn extra cash during college soon grew into a full-fledged business.
Initially, we planned to move into corporate careers after graduation, but our work proved more lucrative than expected,” Ash recalls.
And so, J&A Productions, a photography and videography company, was born. They began with wedding photography before expanding to corporate shoots and taking on outdoor projects in the hospitality industry.
The birth of Small Towns Malaysia
Since its release, Small Towns Malaysia’s documentary on Papan, Perak, has since garnered over 800,000 views on TikTok.
Ash and Jonathan’s foray into the hospitality industry sparked the idea of Small Towns Malaysia, a project driven by their desire to showcase the beauty of Malaysia on their own terms.
When we started Small Towns Malaysia, we wanted our videos to be 100% our vision, and the concept worked because people loved our videos.
Now, we have collaborators and paid partnerships who appreciate what we do and let us have a free hand, which is great, “ said Ash.
What began as a creative escape from commercial work quickly gained traction on TikTok, resonating with audiences across and beyond Malaysia.
Through intimate closeups, slow-moving scenes of daily life and historical heritage, and breathtaking drone shots of landscapes, Ash and Jonathan bring life to Malaysia’s forgotten places, creating authentic, engaging stories in short videos.
Many more hidden gems to go
However, Small Towns Malaysia’s journey is far from over, with the duo sharing that they have a list of over 600 towns and villages to film.
With a list that long and an aim to shoot a minimum of four locations every month, Jonathan acknowledges that the monthly target is still on the low end.
If we do one town a week, that’s only 52 towns a year, and that would mean we would never finish our list of towns. And that’s not even accounting for the productions happening at J&A Productions.”
Ash agreed, adding that although they have fallen short of their monthly goal this year due to busy work schedules and new collaborations and partnerships, the supportive community on TikTok drives the duo to continue their passion for filming and creating content.
It’s the people. Commenters would ask, ‘Hey, why haven’t you visited my town? Can you come to my town?’
“And we feel obligated because we’ve done other people’s towns, why can’t we do other towns?” Ash said, adding that some have even offered meals and their homes to stay.
To keep up with this goal, the team adheres to a planned shooting schedule, staying at least three days in a town every week.
Our shoots are structured in blocks. Within those blocks, we are free to exercise our shoots, allowing us to exercise spontaneity.
“When shooting on the streets, we never know what’s going to happen. Suddenly, we see a nice interaction between people, or this uncle is telling me about a nice place around the corner,” Jonathan shared.
‘Pasars are the best!’
When asked about memorable experiences from their video shoots, Jonathan notes that it’s the morning wet markets and pasar malams.
We want to pay for their food, but they always insist on letting us try their food for free out of the kindness of their hearts, and I think that is really nice.
They would always interact with the cameras as well. They’d smile, they’d wave, all really cute stuff,” he recalled.
But this journey isn’t without its challenges. From difficult client projects to unpredictable weather, Jonathan noted that they’re “often at the mercy of the weather.”
Despite these challenges, the duo has reached significant milestones, including exceeding the 100,000-follower mark on TikTok.
For Ash, the biggest achievement lies in bringing awareness to these small towns, encouraging Malaysians to explore and appreciate their own country.
We feel like we are making a difference in getting these towns recognised,” he said.
By the community, for the community
When asked if they have tips for budding content creators, Ash says that it’s important to stick to your guns and creativity.
Most of the time, they’re too ashamed of putting their content out there for fear of getting judged. People are always going to criticise and give advice,” he said.
As for Jon, he had this to say: “Sometimes the criticism you get might not be for you, but it’s always good to weigh them out and see if you can improve. It’s also easy to forget why you’re creating content in the first place”.
In doing so, they embody the spirit of responsible creation, mindfully crafting content that not only celebrates Malaysia’s diversity but also fosters a sense of unity and respect among their wide audience.
To date, Small Towns Malaysia is a team of five individuals: founders Ash and Jonathan, blind Bahasa-Malaysia-translator Seong, Jennifer, who handles partnerships and collabs, and video editor cum TikTok creator Mukhlis.
Ash adds that Small Towns Malaysia’s most important asset, however, is its followers.
They give us ideas, and our account has become such a community-based platform. The community is strong here, and it helps us make our videos better.”
For Ash and Jonathan, Small Towns Malaysia has become more than just a creative outlet; it’s a platform to share the genuine spirit of Malaysia, one small town at a time.
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