Tatler Malaysia – December 2025

Tatler Malaysia – December 2025

Summary

Dato' Sheila Majid, photographed in a gold lamé gown at Istana Budaya, celebrates 40 years in the Malaysian music industry on the cover of Tatler Malaysia December 2025 with a 12-page career retrospective and a 3-page pull-out of her setlist from the Jubilee concert. The 208-page holiday issue also carries the Tatler Ball Asia 2025 and Tatler Best Awards 2025 reports, and the Datuk Nicol David mother-daughter profile.

—————

Majid's feature (cover story) traces her 1985 debut single "Di Dalam Syahdu" through 18 albums, a 2025 all-Malaysia Jubilee tour that sold 120,000 tickets across 12 cities, and her role as a judge on TV talent show Suara Juara. The Tatler Ball Asia 2025 coverage ("A Luminous Odyssey," p.52) reports from Resorts World Sentosa, Singapore, with 600 guests and RM 2 million raised for education charities. The Tatler Best Awards 2025 report (p.76) documents the first joint ceremony for Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions, held in Bangkok. The Scene section includes the SeaShorts Film Festival 2025 (p.106), Chef Katelyn Tan's Thai food guide ("City of Taste," p.88), and the Souled Out 30th-anniversary story (p.102). Nicol David and her mother Ann Marie ("In Her Shoes," p.112) share the sacrifice behind 8 world squash titles.

—————

Regular departments include Editor's Note (p.38), Online Highlights (p.32), and One Last Look (p.208). The issue's feature set is the broadest of the year, spanning entertainment, sports, film and food. The Scene runs 68 pages—the largest Scene section in any Tatler Malaysia 2025 issue.

—————

Content Guide

▸ Cover Story

p.42 · Dato' Sheila Majid Profile
Sheila Majid, 60, has sold 2 million albums across 18 studio releases. Her 2025 Jubilee tour grossed RM 24 million. She rehearses 4 hours daily even when not touring. Her advice to young artists: "Own your masters. Don't sign a 7-album deal—negotiate a 3-album deal with an option."

▸ Features

p.112 · In Her Shoes
Datuk Nicol David, 42, won 8 World Squash Championships between 2005 and 2016. Her mother Ann Marie worked 3 jobs to fund her early tournaments. Nicol's current training load: 2 hours on court plus 1 hour of strength work, 5 days a week. She now runs Squash Malaysia's junior development programme, coaching 60 under-16 players.

p.102 · Standing the Test of Time
Souled Out, the Bangsar live-music venue, turned 30 in 2025. Founder Peter Ong opened the 120-seat club in 1995 with a RM 200,000 loan. It now hosts 250 shows per year and has launched 30 Malaysian acts. The anniversary issue features a 30-song Spotify playlist curated by past performers.

p.106 · Zoom In
SeaShorts Film Festival 2025 in Kuala Lumpur: 60 short films from 12 Southeast Asian countries, 8,000 attendees, RM 500,000 in total budget. Festival director Dain Said selected 6 Malaysian entries for the competition. Submissions for 2026 open January 15.

▸ The Scene

p.52 · A Luminous Odyssey
Tatler Ball Asia 2025 at Resorts World Sentosa: 600 guests, 8-course dinner by 3 Michelin-starred chef Julien Royer (Odette). A live auction raised RM 2 million for Room to Read's girls' education programme. The highest bid: RM 350,000 for a 7-day Amanpulo yacht charter.

p.88 · City of Taste
Tatler Best Takeovers in Bangkok: 29 events across 8 days. Chef Katelyn Tan's guide names 6 Bangkok restaurants: Nahm (1 Michelin star), Sorn (2 stars), Saawaan (1 star), Baan Ice, 80/20 and Supanniga Eating Room. Each entry includes the must-order dish and average bill per person.

▸ Regulars

p.208 · One Last Look
The back-page photo features Majid's gold lamé gown—designed by Rizman Ruzaini, taking 3 months and 10,000 sequins—donated to the National Museum's music memorabilia collection. Readers can view the gown at a January 2026 exhibition.

—————

Editor's Take

Majid's 40-year retrospective is the right choice for a December issue—she's beloved across generations and the concert-revenue data (RM 24 million gross, 120,000 tickets) gives the feature journalistic weight. The Tatler Ball and Best Awards coverage earns its page count because both events expanded to include Middle Eastern honourees for the first time, which is genuinely newsworthy. But at 68 pages, The Scene section is bloated—the Souled Out 30th anniversary piece could have been 4 pages, not 8, and the "Zoom In" film festival entry carries multiple full-page sponsor logos. The ad ratio is the highest of any Tatler Malaysia 2025 issue at 48 percent, with 12 pages of Dior Prestige inserts in the first 30 pages.

Strengths
• Sheila Majid career data—album sales, tour gross, ticket count, daily practice hours
• Tatler Ball Asia auction raised RM 2 million with specific top lot and charity named
• Nicol David mother-daughter interview with multi-job detail and current coaching load

Weaknesses
• The Scene runs 68 pages—excessive for an entertainment section
• Ad ratio hits 48 percent with concentrated luxury-brand inserts up front

Verdict: Recommended — The Majid retrospective and the Nicol David profile deliver the emotional beats; skip the 68-page Scene section.

Disclaimer: All original content on this site is protected; reproduction without written consent is prohibited. We do not host files and only provide automated links to publicly available resources. If you believe any content infringes your rights, please contact us for prompt removal or resolution. We respect copyright and are committed to cooperating with rights holders.