<div>The Fobia singer has reached meteoric levels of success, but don&rsquo;t tell him that, yet.</div>

Just a few hours before our conversation, Naim Daniel quietly emerges at an airy photo studio in Taman Wahyu for his L&rsquo;OFFICIEL HOMMES feature profile photoshoot. Despite the swift turnaround from the conceptualisation to the execution of the shoot (things in Naim Daniel&rsquo;s world move quickly and meticulously), he exudes a delightful charm. He arrives punctually and independently, full of energy while maintaining a reserved and polite demeanour, warmly greeting everyone with a southwestern accent that has been influenced by his years in Kuala Lumpur. Upon meeting him, his presence is immediately captivating.
&nbsp;He is wearing a relaxed shirt and low-slung cargo trousers, cinched with an umber-brown belt, and adorned with a necklace magnified with colourful beads and smiley pendants, reflecting his current mood. His ability to wear clothes with remarkable elegance is striking, a fact already evident if you browse his Instagram account, where you&rsquo;ll find a collection of youthful outfits consisting of loose- fitting trousers and tops, occasionally tailored to his body for onstage performances.

As the photographer, Herbeyap, prepares her camera, I discuss the proposed looks for the shoot with Naim. He promptly selects a charcoal-structured long coat from H&amp;M Studio, a black tank top, and flared trousers in the same shade, from the clothing rack. Other favourites are two-toned panel denim jeans paired with a cropped vest, and an H&amp;M Studio ensemble featuring a leather skirt is swiftly approved. Comfortable in front of the camera, he effortlessly transitions from one look to another, with each outfit more creatively conceived than the last. His confidence is evident and, upon observation, he appears content.
It&rsquo;s quite a departure from the image I had of Naim Daniel when he was just eight years old, with that innocent baby face. Despite his incredible success in both acting and music, I probably never truly grasped his full potential until he won the champion title at the 34th Anugerah Juara Lagu with his breakout single. This achievement came after a few years of him debuting his performances online on social media, earning him recognition from Malaysian stars like Alif Satar and Dato&rsquo; Sri Siti Nurhaliza. &ldquo;To be honest, I didn&rsquo;t think I could reach that level,&rdquo; he explains. &ldquo;What made it even more surreal was that I was up against some of the music industry&rsquo;s A-listers, such as Ernie Zakri, Hafiz Suip, Faizal Tahir and many others. When the emcees finally announced my name as the winner of AJL, it felt like time slowed down.

"I was completely shocked, and to top it all off, I was in full-face cartoonish painted makeup at the time [laughs],&rdquo; Naim recalls the moment when he was announced as the winner of the prestigious music competition.&rdquo; He continues, &ldquo;Sometimes, I find myself pondering whether I&rsquo;ve truly accomplished all of this. But one thing remains constant: I firmly believe that my current position is not solely my doing. I owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the wonderful people who have supported me along the way. This success results from a collective effort, and I am forever humbled and thankful to have had them by my side throughout this incredible journey.&rdquo;
While making a name for himself in the music scene, Naim has also established a noteworthy presence in the world of cinema and TV series, embarking on his acting journey at the tender age of eight. He shared the screen with industry luminaries such as Fauziah Nawi, Aida Aris and Norman Hakim in his debut role. Over the years, he has taken on a diverse range of characters, consistently delivering performances that resonate with audiences.

<div>"What&rsquo;s most crucial is that I&rsquo;m learning to prioritise and have more trust in myself because, ultimately, I&rsquo;m the one I can always count on."</div>
<div></div>

However, on a personal note, his portrayal of Budi in the local telefilm Derita Pia remains his most remarkable performance to date. In this role, he depicted a child with cerebral palsy with exceptional skill and sensitivity. This was followed by his portrayal of Ayam in Malaysia&rsquo;s highly acclaimed TV series Projek: High Council, which garnered significant attention earlier this year. &ldquo;What&rsquo;s fascinating about that telefilm (Derita Pia) is that I only received the script about three months before we started shooting. Sheila Rusly called me and asked me to clear my schedule for the next three months because she had a role in mind that she believed I could excel in,&rdquo; he reminisces about his first venture as Budi. &ldquo;The only guidance she gave me was to research cerebral palsy. So I dove into it, immersing myself in the community affected by this disorder. I closely observed their movements, emotions, speech patterns, expressions of anger and even the way they eat &mdash; you name it. I became so engrossed in understanding the character that it took me almost a month after we finished shooting to fully detach from Budi. Sometimes, without even realising it, I would unconsciously mimic Budi&rsquo;s mannerisms when I spoke,&rdquo; he explains.
Among all the characters Naim has brought to life on screen, his portrayal of Ayam in Projek: High Council holds a special place in his heart. He shares his sentiments about this role, saying, &ldquo;Ayam taught me the importance of embracing life&rsquo;s joys. Our time here is limited, so we should make the most of it and savour every moment to the fullest.&rdquo;

While acting and creating music occupy a significant corner of his heart, with the former being his &ldquo;first love&rdquo; and the latter his &ldquo;first crush,&rdquo; Naim remains open to exploring diverse &nbsp;talents as a young individual in the 21st century. In addition to his artistic pursuits, he has ventured into entrepreneurship by selling second-hand clothing at various festivals around the city. As we speak, his phone continuously buzzes with messages from the soon-to-be-announced members of his new band. Naim does not stay put. &ldquo;I&rsquo;ve noticed that I tend to thrive under pressure, and to keep that momentum going, I often dive into new ventures,&rdquo; he opens up. &ldquo;These are endeavours that demand my responsibility, and I need to invest my time, energy and effort into them. Being young and full of energy, I&rsquo;m eager to explore all the different facets of myself. I&rsquo;m determined to seize every opportunity and possibility that comes my way while I&rsquo;m still capable and active. None of us can predict when our journey will end, so I want to make the most of the present and embrace all the opportunities that await me.&rdquo;

His endearing and friendly demeanour makes it feel like we&rsquo;ve been friends for years in this conversation. However, there&rsquo;s also a sense that he&rsquo;s carefully choosing his words, perhaps a lesson learnt from nearly two decades in the industry. Like many celebrities, Naim lives under the constant scrutiny of both offline and online audiences. Despite this, he&rsquo;s always been unafraid to be authentic and show his true self whenever possible. However, as time passes, he&rsquo;s found himself growing weary of facing backlash from online critics simply for being himself. This is why he now prefers to &ldquo;lay low&rdquo; and avoid unnecessary attention. &ldquo;I understand that celebrities have a lot of eyes on them, but I just hope people don&rsquo;t put us on a pedestal,&rdquo; he muses. &ldquo;At the end of the day, we&rsquo;re all the same &mdash; human. I&rsquo;m no better than you, and vice versa; we all make mistakes and learn from them. I might excel in certain things, and you have your own talents too. We&rsquo;re equals; it&rsquo;s just that I happen to have more followers on social media than you [laughs]. That&rsquo;s really the only difference. Of course, I deeply appreciate all the support and everything that has led me to this position. But, honestly, the last thing I want is for people to see me as some kind of example to follow in their lives,&rdquo; he shares his thoughts.
Turning 26 this year is a whirlwind of emotions, excitement and laughter to Naim. To him, a lot is happening and there are decisions to be made along with a fair share of confusion as well. &ldquo;This year, I&rsquo;m delving deep into the journey of understanding my relationship with myself and the people in my life. I&rsquo;m actively working on improving how I express my feelings and desires in life. What&rsquo;s most crucial is that I&rsquo;m learning to prioritise and have more trust in myself because, ultimately, I&rsquo;m the one I can always count on. Certain choices I&rsquo;m making might go against the grain because they might not make sense to everyone else, but I see them as opportunities that could lead me down the path I&rsquo;ve always yearned for. So, it&rsquo;s essential for me to put myself first and have confidence in my own decisions.&rdquo;

CREDITS:
Photography Herbeyap Words &amp; Creative Direction Syazil Abd Rahim Grooming Joey Yap Hair Nicole Ng Photography Assistants Zac

Interview: Naim Daniel has notes

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