Patrick Teoh

Patrick Teoh Kah Yong (born 16 October 1947) is a Malaysian actor and radio personality. A career in radio, on TV, stage and in movies spanning more than five decades earned Teoh the nickname of "Voice of Malaysia", bestowed by his fans and the Malaysian mass media.

Teoh was born in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.

Teoh contracted polio when he was 7 years old

He attended St. Michael's Institution up until Form 5. Teoh learned to speak English before he even went to school by watching movies as a child that. His father took him and his mother to the movies every day for the 9.15 p.m. screening. From this routine of watching a movie a day, Teoh learned to speak English by watching actors such as John Wayne, Randolph Scott, Henry Fonda and James Stewart. This personal habit of going to the cinema everyday stayed with Teoh until he was 24 years old and was the only "hobby" he claims he had. His personal record was watching six movies in a single day.

After high school, Teoh remained in Ipoh and became a life insurance and encyclopaedia salesman working on commission for a few years. In 1966, Rediffusion, a cable radio station announced that they had vacancies for radio announcers. Teoh applied, was called for an interview and got the job soon after at the age of 19.

In 1966, Teoh joined Rediffusion as an "English Programme Announcer Grade 3", earning RM$150 a month. For the first three months, he was not allowed to enter the studio. Instead, he wrote scripts and picked out songs for 'Lunch Time Melodies'. At the end of the three months, he was allowed to work in the studio during non-peak hours, where his primary duty was to press buttons to air pre-recorded programmes. After six months, he was allowed to go "on air," reading from pre-approved scripts. Within two years, Teoh was promoted to Assistant Programme Manager. A year later, in 1968, he was again promoted, this time to Programme Manager. He was later promoted to English Programme Supervisor.

A few years later, Teoh was made the Divisional Manager for 'Sound and Film Services', a division set up by Rediffusion to tap into the advertising industry. Due to a nationwide demand for Teoh's voice talent, the division did well and in less than 9 months, it was in the black.

The then-managing director told Teoh that according to the terms of his employment contract he was only entitled to a salary and all monies earned from his professional talents (which included being a professional voice talent) rightfully belonged to the company. But as Teoh was a model employee, the managing director would make an exception and allow him to keep 50% of his voice-over fees. Teoh, who was then earning up to six times his salary in voice-over fees disagreed with the new terms, and resigned from Rediffusion having been there for more than a decade.

During Teoh's last few years with Rediffusion, Malaysia was going through an advertising boom. The government introduced a 'Made in Malaysia' ruling: 65% of the elements in commercials meant to be aired over electronic media had to be of Malaysian origin, or Malaysian-made. It was at this juncture that Teoh was very often called upon to do voice-over work. At this point of his career, arguably 90% of English advertisements aired over Malaysian electronic media were voiced by Teoh. Additionally Teoh's voice also announced MAS safety and emergency procedure recordings. It was at this point that Teoh distinctive baritone and clean, crisp diction earned him the moniker the "Voice of Malaysia".

When disco music became popular Teoh jumped on the bandwagon and was credited as being a Malaysian mobile disco pioneer. In the mid-1970s, the disco era exploded across the country. At that time, Teoh was frequently employed as a DJ for private parties and in-house company functions. During an annual ball for the advertising industry, he was brought in as 'support' for the performing band when they took their set breaks. The crowd reacted positively to the disco tunes that he played, and he was asked to perform for the rest of the night. After the ball, he was asked to perform at more private functions, spinning popular disco tracks. Seeing the popularity of 'mobile disco', Teoh started "The Music Machine" for that purpose. He wound up multiplying his initial sound and light show six times becoming the largest mobile disco entrepreneur in the country.

Teoh, alongside Mahadzir Lokman, Wan Zaleha Radzi, Robert Lam, and Caryn Lim were hired to be newscasters for the then-new TV3 in 1985, whose coverage at that time was limited to the Klang Valley. On 20 September 1988, the second last day of Caryn Lim's job at TV3, Teoh was her co-newscaster. Teoh mentioned that Caryn was leaving the station, then stood up and gave her a friendly farewell peck on her cheek. Apparently the camera was still rolling when the kiss happened and Teoh did not notice it. Controversy ensued as the press (mostly the Chinese press) created a ruckus over the kiss aired live on television. Viewers who were shocked called to the Malay Mail, with one caller saying that he did not believe his eyes when he saw the kiss. Speaking to The Straits Times, Teoh said he was happy but sad for Lim as she would be leaving for Singapore's SBC.

After two years on TV3, Teoh found his news reading schedule was reduced. When he approached his editor about his reduced time on air, he was informed that from the following month onwards, his services would no longer be required. Teoh does not know the exact reason for his termination.

In 1994, the new 24-hour radio station Time Highway Radio proved to be competition to RTM's existing radio stations. Hence RTM decided to re-brand Radio 4, and brought in new DJs such as Patrick and Yasmin Yusoff. Teoh's talk show slot was from 9 a.m. until 12 noon, Mondays to Wednesdays. When Radio 4 went for 24-hour broadcasting, Teoh also hosted a weekly 12 a.m. until 3 a.m. slot calling it 'Midnight Magic'. For Midnight Magic Teoh invited listeners to call in and tell ghost stories, a move that proved to be a hit among his listeners.

Teoh's radio slots became very popular, and after a while he felt that his programmes should be taken one step further to be a better talk show. However he was denied the resources to improve his shows. In 1997, Teoh resigned from Radio 4, and until this day has not returned to radio. During his time on Radio 4 Teoh gained a reputation for being "controversial". This came about as Teoh would discuss current affairs on air and invite listeners to call in with their views. This led to live on air debates and arguments about the talk of the country. It was the first time in Malaysian history that everyday listeners were allowed to air their views on live national radio.

In 1989, Joe Hasham and Faridah Merican set up The Actors Studio. One of their first projects was an introductory acting course, and they invited Teoh to join. After the course, The Actors Studio staged "A Man For All Seasons." Teoh was offered the cameo role of Cardinal Wolsey, his first appearance on the Malaysian stage. In 2021 Teoh once again acted in a production of the same play this time landing the role of Thomas Cromwell, the villain in the play. It was the role he had craved decades earlier. In 2022 Teoh reprised the role of SB Tan in a production of "Philadelphia, Here I Come." Presently Teoh is a full-time performing member of the Instant Café Theatre Company.