The flamboyant and talented Wak Doyok shares his life story with Loong Wai Ting
FROM his iconic handlebar moustache and fashion sense to the way he carries himself, everything about Wak Doyok makes heads turn.
Wak Doyok, real name Tengku Mohammad Azwan Shah, is hardly your typical male model. But, do not be fooled by his seemingly cool personality. His calm manner exudes confidence that many men — young and old — look up to for fashion tips.
With his well-groomed hair, all the way down to his moustache, the 33-year-old’s fashion inspiration was born when he worked part-time in Ben Sherman, a boutique in Britain.
Wak Doyok is the co-founder of The Garment clothing, and the man behind The Garment Movement. He is also one of Samsung Alpha-listers. After hosting his first travelogue, Ke Korea Ke Kita, previously aired on TV9, Wak Doyok showed off his acting chops in S.M.E — Small Mission Enterprise, a sitcom which is currently in its third season.
Starring Baki Zainal, Ash Nair, Alvin Wong, Adibah Noor and Chelsia Ng, S.M.E. is about three happy-go-lucky young men who go through life-changing career paths.
POKING FUN AT LIFE
In the 13-episode series, Wak Doyok shares his life story and how he became a fashion personality. Although the sitcom is peppered with jokes and puns that are meant to poke fun at every day life, he says bringing his character to life was not as easy as it seems.
“My biggest fear is memorising the English dialogue,” he says.
“Acting is not my forte because there are many technical aspects that I am not familiar with. I prefer hosting because I like the spontaneity. In acting, one needs to find the right emotion to breathe life into a character.”
Wak Doyok held many jobs before finding his true calling in fashion. These included a delivery boy and a lorry driver’s assistant.
He admits that acting was never his main focus. Wak Doyok declined many acting offers from local directors and producers, including S.M.E director Azizi Adnan. Azizi takes over the directorial seat from Douglas Lim who retains his role as writer.
So how did he end up playing the lead? “Azizi doggedly pursued me until I agreed. He said my personality and life story suited the show’s theme, and that was enough to convince me to take up the offer.”
GROWING FAN BASE
Since S.M.E. started airing, Wak Doyok’s fan base has grown tremendously. He’s had many fans, including old folk, telling him they enjoyed watching his acting.
“For me, that’s the biggest compliment. One time, an old Chinese woman came up to me and asked to take a photo together.”
When asked whether he plans to pursue acting, Wak Doyok’s answer is “no”.
“I only did S.M.E. to gain experience. Besides, it is a good platform for people to know me better.”
Wak Doyok plans to try his hand at directing. He is coming out with a short film called Kayuh, which tells of two wealthy individuals, Razak and Sue, who are late for their business meeting. Stuck in a massive traffic jam, they have no choice but to either travel on foot or ride on a rickshaw.
Written by veteran actress Ida Nerina, Kayuh, to be filmed entirely in Klang, is one of 19 short films to be released on YouTube in March next year. It is part of the International Women’s Day celebration.
“I find it interesting to be able to tell a story from a different perspective, including one’s own.
“Kayuh brings the message of humanity and about being humble in every circumstances. It’s a simple story that comes from my daily observation of life,” says Wak Doyok.
The short film stars Wan Maimunah and Aqasha.
Despite his many accomplishments, Wak Doyok has had his fair share of criticism, be it his fashion sense or the things he indulges in. But this does not bother Klang-born Wak Doyok.
“Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I have no control over what they say about me. Criticism exists everywhere and I don’t really care about them as long as I am true to myself.
“To me, a job well done is more important than arguing with the critics.”
S.M.E: Small Mission Enterprise airs every Thursday on ntv7 at 9pm.