The Patriots

What The Patriots does

The Patriots (legally Patriots Holding Sdn Bhd) is a Malaysia-based, privately held digital media publisher that has operated since 2012, distributing free Malay-language educational and historical content to a general Malay-speaking audience. Its core product is the WordPress-hosted site thepatriots.asia, which covers categories including world chronicles (Kronikel Dunia), Malay Archipelago culture (Alam Melayu), Islamic content (Mutiara Islam), science (Falsafah Alamiah), economics (Eko-Niaga), psychology, sports, and philosophy, with recent articles attributed to a single named contributor, Afiq Rowley. The company positions itself as independent of billionaire or political ownership and uses a multi-platform social distribution strategy across Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube (TV Patriot), and Telegram to drive organic audience acquisition.

The business model is reader-supported rather than ad- or subscription-based. Primary revenue comes from voluntary donations solicited through Billplz payment links embedded in articles, with a stated minimum of RM2 per contribution. A secondary revenue stream consists of merchandise and book sales through the company's own storefront at thepatriots.store and a Shopee marketplace presence, including published titles such as 'Mencabar Teori Konspirasi'. Pricing for books and merchandise is not publicly listed. The platform accepts user-submitted articles via a 'Hantar Artikel' page, indicating some level of contributor-driven content expansion. The legal entity is a Malaysian Sendirian Berhad (private limited) with registration number 1337814-H, headquartered in Setapak, Malaysia, with a stated headcount range of 11-50 employees.

Name

The Patriots

Legal name

Patriots Holding Sdn Bhd

Website

https://thepatriots.asia

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Patriots is a Malaysia-based digital publisher operating since 2012 that distributes free Malay-language educational content on history, science, and culture to general Malay-speaking readers, funded primarily by small reader donations via Billplz and supplemented by merchandise and book sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Publishing / Digital Media

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (516210), Broadcasting and Content Providers (516)

SIC

Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Online Article & Blog Publishing Platforms (MPAJAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Creator Publishing & Membership Platforms (Writer-Centric) (MPACAIAD)

Keywords

• Educational editorial content
• History and culture articles
• Reader-supported journalism
• Malay-language publishing
• Digital media platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Setapak

HQ country

Malaysia

HQ region

Asia

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Reader Donations / Crowdfunding: The Patriots solicits voluntary financial contributions from readers starting at RM2.00 via Billplz payment links embedded in articles. The company states it has been providing free content since 2012 and relies on reader support to sustain operations. This is the primary revenue mechanism described on the site.
2. Merchandise & Bookstore Sales: The Patriots operates an online storefront at thepatriots.store and a Shopee marketplace presence (shopee.com.my/thepatriotsasia/), selling books and merchandise including titles such as 'Mencabar Teori Konspirasi'.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Patriots publishes a free Malay-language online editorial platform (thepatriots.asia) covering world history, Islamic heritage, Malay Archipelago (Alam Melayu) culture, economics, science, sports, and current events. The platform monetizes through voluntary reader donations (from RM2.00 via Billplz) and supplementary sales of books and merchandise through its own bookstore (thepatriots.store) and Shopee marketplace storefront.

Product overview

The Patriots operates as a digital news and editorial publication based in Malaysia (Patriots Holding Sdn Bhd), offering free online content covering diverse topics including world history, Malay culture, science, sports, and economics. The company maintains multiple distribution channels: its core online platform (thepatriots.asia), an e-commerce bookstore (thepatriots.store), and presence on Shopee marketplace. The Patriots Bookstore features publications such as 'Mencabar Teori Konspirasi' by Ibn Jawi and Ayman Rashdan Wong.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Patriots Publishing: Publishing arm of The Patriots mentioned in promotional materials
• Mencabar Teori Konspirasi

Products and services

• The Patriots Online Publication A free Malay-language digital media publication delivering editorial articles across world history, Islamic heritage, Malay Archipelago culture, economics, science, sports, psychology, philosophy, and current events for the Malay-speaking general public in Malaysia and the broader diaspora.
• The Patriots Bookstore (thepatriots.store) An e-commerce bookstore operated by The Patriots, selling books and publications including titles such as "Mencabar Teori Konspirasi" by Ibn Jawi and Ayman Rashdan Wong, targeted at Malaysian consumers and supporters of the publication.
• The Patriots Shopee Store The Patriots' presence on the Shopee Malaysia e-commerce marketplace, offering merchandise and publications to Malaysian consumers as a supplementary sales channel alongside its own bookstore.
• Mencabar Teori Konspirasi (book) A book published by The Patriots authored by Ibn Jawi and Ayman Rashdan Wong, distributed via the Patriots Bookstore (thepatriots.store) and Shopee Malaysia, targeting Malay-language readers interested in challenging conspiracy theories.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BillplzcoreTechnology or IntegrationBillplz is used as the payment processing platform for reader donations, enabling The Patriots to collect voluntary contributions starting from RM2.00 per transaction. Donation links are embedded directly in article pages.
• ShopeeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Patriots operates a Shopee storefront (shopee.com.my/thepatriotsasia/) to sell books and merchandise alongside its own store at thepatriots.store. Shopee serves as an additional marketplace channel for product distribution.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Malaysiakini: Malaysia's largest independent digital news outlet. Directly comparable to The Patriots as a Malay/English-language online publisher serving Malaysian readers with independent editorial positioning, though at significantly larger scale.
• SAYS.com: Malaysian digital media publisher covering news, lifestyle, and viral content. Comparable to The Patriots as a Malaysia-based online publishing platform monetizing through audience reach and social distribution.
• Cilisos: Malaysian digital media brand known for explainers and educational content. Closely comparable to The Patriots in producing vernacular educational articles aimed at curious Malaysian readers via digital channels.
• World of Buzz: Malaysian digital publisher covering news, lifestyle, and trending topics. Comparable to The Patriots as a Malaysia-based WordPress-driven publishing platform with social-led distribution.
• The Vibes: Malaysian online news outlet covering politics, current affairs, and lifestyle. Comparable to The Patriots as a digital-first Malaysian news and editorial platform competing for the same Malay-speaking readership.
• Vocket: Malaysian Chinese-language digital media outlet. Comparable to The Patriots as a Malaysia-based independent digital publisher, though serving the Chinese-Malaysian segment rather than Malay-speaking audiences.

Broad incumbents

• Astro Awani: Major Malaysian news portal operated by Astro. A broad incumbent in the same space, providing Malay-language news and current affairs at significantly larger scale and with multimedia capabilities.
• Free Malaysia Today: Established Malaysian online news outlet in English and Malay. Comparable as a digital publisher serving Malaysian audiences, but with broader newsroom scope and institutional scale beyond The Patriots' educational niche.

Regional players

• Mothership: Singapore-based digital media company producing viral, social-led content. Comparable to The Patriots in business model and content style (online-first, social-driven publishing) but operates in Singapore and English rather than Malaysia and Malay.
• IDN Times: Indonesia-based digital media network targeting younger audiences with vernacular content. Comparable as a Southeast Asian vernacular digital publisher with multi-platform distribution, though serving Indonesian (Bahasa) rather than Malay readers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/thepatriotsasia
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/tvpatriot
• Facebookfacebook.com/thepatriotsasia
• Instagraminstagram.com/thepatriotsasia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thepatriots

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Patriots