As a Sabahan, Adam Shamil, who was studying in West Malaysia a decade ago, often had his accent mistaken for Indonesian. The confusion was not unusual, as Sabahan and Indonesian do sound alike. However, there are differences. Nevertheless, Adam was determined to correct the fact with a video (or two, maybe more) under his very first series — Get It Right.
His first episode was about the differences between the slangs, and that content garnered over 200,000 views within 24 hours. That motivated him to create more videos, which also blew up. Today, Adam is a content creator with over 300,000 followers on Facebook, 206,000 followers on Instagram, and 177,000 followers on YouTube. With his recent opening of the Chunk & Dunk outlet in Vivacity, Kuching, Sarawak Tribune went down to learn more about the personality that is Adam.
Q: Who were you before the followers, collaborations and spotlight?
A: I was a student at the University of Nottingham, Kuala Lumpur. I studied International Communications.
How I started was that there were people coming up to me and assuming that my identity was Indonesian due to my accent. So that is actually what prompted me to make videos. I started my very first Get It Right video; it was differentiating how Sabahans and Indonesians would speak.
And then there was a second episode, and a third. There were a minority of West Malaysians with the assumption that we live on trees, right? Yes. So I made a video about it. And the rest is history. That was literally what catapulted my career into content creation.
Have you ever thought that one day you would end up as a content creator?
When I first started making videos, I never expected that I would actually turn this side hustle of mine into an actual profession. So I’m just very blessed with this opportunity which brought us to where we are today.
Meanwhile, what prompted me to actually study content creation as well is because every single day after school, I would go to my mum’s office. My mum has worked in a tourism company for the last 25 years.
So I think that the frequent visits to my mum’s office essentially shaped and moulded me into the person I am today.
At what point in your content creation did you realise it can be a career?
When I first received my first YouTube payment slip, I thought, “Wow, I’m able to monetise my YouTube channel”, and it was quite a lucrative opportunity. That was probably after so many videos, because I didn’t realise I could monetise my content.
What’s something about your real life that your followers will be shocked to know?
I think you’d be shocked to find out that I am actually not what I display on social media. When you look at the kind of content that I make, I exude some sort of extrovertness. But actually, I am the total opposite. My circle is very small.
My grandma is the same as me too! On camera, we both can look like pure excitement, but that’s just our internet personality.
What’s a belief that you hold that influences the kind of content you produce?
I always believe that whatever content I make needs to be relatable. Ever since I started making videos, the intention has always been clear, and that is to create content that would be of value to my followers.
I don’t want to make content for the sake of popularity or garnering followers and views. I want to make as much difference as I can to my community. And in order for me to achieve that, I strongly believe that one of the ways is by providing quality or valuable content
What do you usually want to teach your followers through your content?
Nothing specific. But when I first started making content, which was the Get It Right episodes, it was to educate our friends in West Malaysia on how civilised we actually are in the East. It was to address misconceptions with the hope that they would get it right.
How do you stay grounded when the numbers go up and down, or when you receive negative feedback or constructive criticism?
I live with my grandmother and mother. These two individuals are my pillars of strength.
My grandmother especially would always tell me to remain humble, to always be driven by humility, and to always remember where I first started, to be the same person I’ve always been. I think the foundation of success and growth is humility, and understanding that there are people who are much better than you. But what separates you and that person is humbleness.
So I strongly believe that staying humble is extremely crucial and important in maintaining your relevance, growing your community, and ensuring that your community will always be by your side through thick and thin.
Do you get creative blocks?
I do get creative blocks at times. But a lot of my videos are driven by things that are relatable around me.
When I see something, I create content out of it. When I first started making content, questions like, “Oh, are you from Indonesia? You sound like one,” — a lot of people can relate to that. Many Sabahans studying in Kuala Lumpur relate to that notion of being mistaken for Indonesian.
So I usually make content that revolves around me. So I rarely experience creative blocks. I do at times, especially when I run out of ideas. But whenever that happens, I always turn to the main question: I look at what’s around me and ask, “What is something relatable between me and that person?” And I make content out of it.
Do you feel pressured to look or live a certain way because of your social status?
Oh no. I will wear short pants when I want to. I like to be authentically myself, and I am unapologetically myself.
What’s the most meaningful DM or comment you’ve ever received?
I tend to create controversial content when I first started making videos. It wasn’t as controversial, but due to the language barrier, a lot of people misunderstood my intentions. I have received death threats in the past.
The normal ones, of course, people telling me I’m not funny, I’m irrelevant, and I should stop making content. I love singing as well, and some people tell me that I have a squeaky voice, and things like that.
But I think the essence of being an internet personality is being able to absorb all of it and take it positively, because not everybody has the same opinion. And I always like to believe that the more haters you have, the more your popularity is growing.
Do you scroll through every comment?
I used to. I occasionally still do it but I try to reduce that habit. Some comments can demotivate me, and some are not worth reading. Sometimes they make sense. Regardless of whether I agree with the criticisms thrown at me, I usually take a step back and reflect.
If I feel it’s something I need to improve on, I will. But at the end of the day, as long as this is what I believe in, and as long as my intentions are right, as my grandmother always tells me, nothing else matters. I cannot please everybody.
So the only thing I can do is do my best and not hurt others.
If you weren’t doing this, what is the alternate life path you imagine for yourself?
Definitely a lawyer. After my STPM, I actually got an offer to read law at the University of Sheffield, England. I flew over for one week, attended orientation, and I was informed by a financial institution in Sabah that the scholarship for law had been frozen.
So I came back home with shattered dreams and decided to take a two-year break. I did a sales business with my mum. That was also when I started learning entrepreneurship at the age of 19.
I started selling coffee, selling supplements, convincing people. I basically learned the art of entrepreneurship and persuasion. So I guess it’s a blessing in disguise.
So after the two-year break, why didn’t you pursue law?
I think there was just a change of interest. I realised that I love talking, but does that mean I want to be a lawyer? A lawmaker? Stand before a judge for the rest of my life? There were a lot of questions. I took a step back and reflected on my decision because it would affect my life. I’m glad I chose a different path; otherwise, it wouldn’t have been as interesting as it is today.
Have you ever regretted posting something immediately after hitting upload?
There’s this one video I did with my grandmother, mocking an individual who pronounced the word “Sabah” wrongly. I truly regretted that. That was many years ago. I was not proud of it, and I didn’t do it anymore.
