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Man’s creative career stretches from caricature drawing to Donald Duck voice work
SHAMSIR Mohd Shahar is not a name most Malaysians would immediately recognise. Yet the 50-year-old has spent decades building a creative career that stretches across caricature, painting, voice acting, comic creation and toy collecting.
Better known online as Syem or Syemstar, he once voiced Donald Duck and Goofy in Malay while earning a living drawing portraits and caricatures at events around the Klang Valley.
His story is not one of fame or viral success. It is the story of a working artist who has spent years turning personal interests into a livelihood.
Growing up between countries
Born in Kuala Lumpur, Syem spent much of his childhood abroad because of his father’s career as a diplomat. He lived in Canada, Saudi Arabia, Switzerland and Brazil before returning to Malaysia as a teenager.
Those years left a lasting impression on how he viewed art.
“The reason I like drawing is because I was influenced by what I saw in Europe. In Geneva and Paris, I saw people drawing inside trains. Even when the train was moving, they could still draw. They also drew on the street. They were not shy to show their talent.”
Back in Malaysia, he decided to pursue illustration despite concerns from his parents, who were unsure whether art could provide a stable income.
His earliest influence came from home. His eldest brother taught him to draw Ultraman and often sketched family members, creating an environment where drawing felt natural.
Building career one sketch at a time
The path to becoming a full-time artist was not glamorous.
After leaving salaried work, Syem began offering caricature services directly to customers in restaurants. Armed with drawing tools and determination, he moved from table to table asking diners whether they wanted their portraits drawn.
Some declined. Others gave him a chance.
Over time, the work became steady enough to support himself.
To entertain children sitting for portraits, he often performed cartoon voices while drawing. Those impressions eventually led friends to encourage him to audition for Raja Lawak in 2008.
Although he did not progress far in the competition, a producer noticed his voice acting ability and introduced him to opportunities in dubbing.
Becoming Donald Duck
Syem entered the voice acting industry in 2009, auditioning for various Disney characters.
“The two most popular characters I got were Goofy and Donald Duck.”
For years, he voiced the famous duck for Malay-speaking audiences. His work extended beyond contemporary productions to dubbed versions of classic Donald Duck cartoons dating back to the 1930s and 1940s.
Donald Duck Day was celebrated on June 9. While Syem stepped away from the role in 2024 amid discussions over work arrangements, he remains proud of his contribution to a character that has entertained generations.
Today, some of his younger relatives are learning the distinctive Donald Duck voice themselves, continuing a family tradition of creative experimentation.
Art of exaggeration
Despite his work in voice acting, drawing remains at the centre of Syem’s life.
He specialises in caricature, a form he believes is often more difficult than portraiture.
“You just highlight the person’s trademark.”
While portrait artists focus on accuracy, caricature artists must decide which features define a face and then exaggerate them without losing recognisability.
Over the years, Syem has developed the ability to draw directly with pen and marker without preliminary sketches. It is a skill he frequently demonstrates at workshops and public events.
He also continues to work with watercolours, acrylics and digital illustration tools, adapting his methods while remaining rooted in traditional drawing.
Collector’s eye
Visitors to Syam’s home quickly discover another long-running passion: Masters of the Universe.
His fascination began in the 1980s when classmates brought He-Man figures to school. Unable to afford them at first, he earned pocket money through drawing before eventually purchasing his first figure, Mekaneck, in Geneva.
Nearly 40 years later, he still owns it.
“I’ve been collecting since 1986.”
The collection serves a purpose beyond nostalgia.
“These figures really help me draw comics and caricatures. When I look at them almost every day, I can capture them in a 3D way in my mind.”
Years of studying action figures have sharpened his understanding of anatomy, poses and perspective, skills that feed directly into his artwork.
Looking towards Bijambo
These days, much of Syem’s attention is focused on a personal project called Bijambo.
The comic follows a boy who transforms into a superhero through a mysterious school bag. Unlike many modern heroes, Bijambo does not solve problems through violence.
“There is no punching. There is no beating people up.”
Instead, the character helps troubled children, repairs damaged communities and encourages positive behaviour.
The project reflects Syem’s concerns about how technology, social isolation and online content are shaping younger generations. He has already written hundreds of episodes and is working towards adapting the comic into a 2D animated series.
Part of that process involves using artificial intelligence.
“AI, to me, is just a tool.”
For Syem, technology is another resource that can help independent creators bring ambitious projects to life.
More than one identity
Artist. Voice actor. Collector. Caregiver.
Syem moves between all of these roles while caring for his 79-year-old mother and continuing to take on caricature commissions.
After decades spent drawing, performing and creating, he is still working towards the project he hopes will define him.
Donald Duck may have introduced his voice to audiences. Caricature gave him a career. But if Syem has his way, the name people remember will be Bijambo.
“I want to be known as the person who created Bijambo.”
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