In 2018, Hendra Wardi won the MDEC IP Creators Challenge with a highly original concept: a comedy about two teenage skeletons working in a zombie grocery store surrounded by classic Southeast Asian ghosts. It took eight years of persistence to bring that idea to life. In March 2026, Kisah Bawah Tanah finally premiered on Astro Prima, making history as Malaysia's first adult animated series. With a feature film in early discussion, the unmistakably Malaysian show is now expanding its reach into Indonesia and Thailand.



The IP found its creative home at Hendra's Bawah Tanah Sdn Bhd, but it required the operational muscle of Edmund Chan's Animasia Studio to become a reality. Animasia brings 21 years of industry experience, having evolved from selling children's books to licensing homegrown animation to Disney Channel Asia and producing content for heavyweights like A24 Films and Amazon. Together, the two founders navigated a highly challenging landscape marked by severe funding gaps, a small domestic market, and significant talent scarcity to finally get the show on the air.



Hendra and Edmund join us to discuss the financial and creative realities of building a Malaysian animation IP from scratch. They outline the sheer endurance required to survive an eight-year development cycle and unpack the business mechanics behind their regional expansion strategy. They also address the massive disruption of artificial intelligence within the creative sector and how Animasia's new AI hybrid production joint venture, RawrAsia Studio, aims to adapt to the future of the global animation industry.

In 2018, Hendra Wardi won the MDEC IP Creators Challenge with a highly original concept: a comedy about two teenage skeletons working in a zombie grocery store surrounded by classic Southeast Asian ghosts. It took eight years of persistence to bring that idea to life. In March 2026, Kisah Bawah Tanah finally premiered on Astro Prima, making history as Malaysia's first adult animated series. With a feature film in early discussion, the unmistakably Malaysian show is now expanding its reach into Indonesia and Thailand.The IP found its creative home at Hendra's Bawah Tanah Sdn Bhd, but it required the operational muscle of Edmund Chan's Animasia Studio to become a reality. Animasia brings 21 years of industry experience, having evolved from selling children's books to licensing homegrown animation to Disney Channel Asia and producing content for heavyweights like A24 Films and Amazon. Together, the two founders navigated a highly challenging landscape marked by severe funding gaps, a small domestic market, and significant talent scarcity to finally get the show on the air.Hendra and Edmund join us to discuss the financial and creative realities of building a Malaysian animation IP from scratch. They outline the sheer endurance required to survive an eight-year development cycle and unpack the business mechanics behind their regional expansion strategy. They also address the massive disruption of artificial intelligence within the creative sector and how Animasia's new AI hybrid production joint venture, RawrAsia Studio, aims to adapt to the future of the global animation industry.

The flagship entrepreneurship show on BFM, featuring personal business stories from early stage start-ups, all the way to billionaire octogenarians in Malaysia and abroad. Notable guests include Martin Cooper (father of the mobile phone), Julian Assange (founder of WikiLeaks), Ralph Henry Baer (father of video games), Tony Buzan (Mindmap Guru), Isaac Tigrett (Hard Rock Cafe founder), Robert Kiyosaki (Financial Guru), Nick Vujicic (motivational speaker) and more. Tap into this valuable resource of shared experiences for the SME industry, which also touches on news, issues and trends affecting the business community and beyond.

Open For Business

Discover fresh concepts, tackle obstacles, and unleash growth - Open For Business is the dynamic show where BFM engages with entrepreneurs, business leaders, and industry trailblazers, igniting inspiration, sparking success, and exploring new business models.