Enterprise Asia, the leading regional NGO, proudly recognizes Burhanuddin Bin Md Radzi, the esteemed Managing Director of Les’ Copaque Production Sdn. Bhd. (Les’ Copaque), for his outstanding entrepreneurial achievements, as he emerges triumphant at the prestigious Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards (APEA) 2023 Malaysia. On 2 June 2023, Burhanuddin Bin Md Radzi was honored with the esteemed Master Entrepreneur Award, which acknowledges his exceptional leadership, innovative mindset, and remarkable contributions to the Malaysian media and entertainment industry and business landscape.
The majority of Burhanuddin Bin Md Radzi’s early career involved him taking on various roles in the oil and gas industry, specifically as a Petroleum Engineer at Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd (PCSB), the lead of Production Operations of Sarawak Shell Berhad’s Miri oilfields, and the Managing Director and partner of Dayang Enterprise Sdn. Bhd.
It was not until December 2005 that Burhanuddin Bin Md Radzi decided to venture into the animation industry, and Les’ Copaque was incorporated. Together with his wife, they developed the business model and the direction of the company, providing a platform for local talents to showcase their creativity and produce quality products with good moral values and local cultures with global appeal.
Today, Les’ Copaque is an award-winning company with over 60 awards from local and abroad received since its inception. Burhanuddin Bin Md Radzi also believes in human capital development, and Les’ Copaque does this by developing local talents fresh after graduation. To date, the company has about 170 production staff and 200 personnel group-wide.
The company will continue to lead the local animation industry by having innovative products and business models. Burhanuddin Bin Md Radzi decided that the company must become an IP creator company. Upin & Ipin, the most successful and phenomenal IP ever produced from Malaysia, was their creation. It is currently being shown in Malaysia, Indonesia, and other ASEAN countries through Disney Hotstar and reaching global viewers through Netflix and Youtube.
For Les’ Copaque, a new, independent studio with no proven IP (such as characters, names, stories, and settings, all of which are protected by the IP system), Burhanuddin Bin Md Radzi concluded that Les’ Copaque could not be successful if it took a similar approach to the studios he saw in Cannes. “Our capabilities can be proven only if our product is accepted by Malaysians,” he said. “That means it must have local characteristics that audiences can relate to in a more meaningful way.” He recognized that in order to market a product internationally, a question must first always be asked: “What is the production’s rating in its home country?”. Thus, he concluded that for Les’ Copaque to also be a success internationally, the correct formula was not to copy others but to create something uniquely Malaysian.
Burhanuddin Bin Md Radzi’s Mission statement can be best derived from his own company’s name. Focusing on creating stories with meaning and relevance to its global audience, Les’ Copaque went from a small studio working out of a closet into Malaysia’s largest homegrown animation studio in a few years.
Leveraging its characters, modern commercialization strategies, and award-winning brands, the studio has not only brought smiles to the faces of people through its animation, but it has also worked to make a positive influence at home and abroad through its universally appealing yet particularly Malaysian stories. Les’ Copaque is the only studio in Malaysia to have successfully spun off its IP into a value chain of business propositions, earning the studio admiration and respect from its competition within the region.
About Enterprise Asia
Enterprise Asia is a non-governmental organization in pursuit of creating an Asia that is rich in entrepreneurship as an engine towards sustainable and progressive economic and social development within a world of economic equality. Its two pillars of existence are an investment in people and responsible entrepreneurship. Enterprise Asia works with governments, NGOs, and other organizations to promote competitiveness and entrepreneurial development, in uplifting the economic status of people across Asia, and in ensuring a legacy of hope, innovation, and courage for the future generation. Please visit www.enterpriseasia.org for more information.
About Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards
Launched in 2007, the Asia Pacific Enterprise Awards is the region’s most prestigious award for outstanding entrepreneurship, continuous innovation, and sustainable leadership. The Award provides a platform for companies and governments to recognize entrepreneurial excellence, hence spurring greater innovation, fair business practices, and growth in entrepreneurship. As a regional award, it groups together leading entrepreneurs as a powerful voice for entrepreneurship and serves as a by-invitation-only networking powerhouse. The program has grown to encompass 16 countries/ regions and markets all over Asia. For further information, please visit www.apea.asia.
