Building the Ecosystem
Navigating the Law and the Logistics
The Multi-Hyphenate Entrepreneur
always looking for opportunities to scale,” he says. His other venture, Daily Dose Films, co-founded with Khairul, started as a separate creative pursuit but has since become an organic, cost-free content engine for APM. There is also @ dharma. invest, an Instagram account where he practices on-camera communication around finance.“ Maybe this skill will come in handy one day. Hehe,” he says. That financial fluency also shows in APM’ s integration of Atome’ s Buy Now, Pay Later offering- making premium setups like the RM13,229(~ USD3.3k) Planet Eclipse CS3 Pro package more accessible for players.
Building the Ecosystem
Nazim Suzaly, co-founder of Asia Paintball Market.
Navigating the Law and the Logistics
Running a paintball retail business in Malaysia comes with a context that most markets do not have. From roughly 2013 to 2019, Malaysian law classified paintball markers as firearms under the Arms Act- requiring licenses and armories for players and operators alike. A group of paintballers challenged this in court and won, paving the way for businesses like APM.
The compliance journey, however, did not end there.“ For markers, we did have some problems at first- markers being confiscated, having to show paperwork to retrieve them. Then it became a problem of customs officers not knowing the updated rules and regulations. This involved many meetings to update them.” As of 2026, the import landscape has cleared.“ Everything is easy to bring in now.” It is a hard-won ease.
The Multi-Hyphenate Entrepreneur
Dharma’ s career arc is not a straight line. He began in investment banking, stayed through the end of COVID, then resigned to sell insurance under a two-year AIA Elite program that matched his previous salary- using the period to sharpen his sales skills while already holding strong investment knowledge.“ My risk appetite is very high and I’ m
APM no longer just sells paintball equipment. It fields three competitive teams- Savages( SVGS), Sausages( SSGS), and Ravages( RVGS)- at Division 1, 2, and 3 levels respectively. Savages had a landmark 2025, winning double gold at the Southern Legion Race Series Final. The team ecosystem is both a community investment and a living brand campaign.
“ Players know team APM or Savages plays a lot locally and internationally. Some players want to play at the highest level- if this is what they seek, we welcome them,” Dharma says. His most ambitious move is still taking shape: APM has offered a sponsorship for Malaysia’ s national paintball team for the Nations Cup at Nawasia( Thailand) in October 2026.“ We would sponsor all playing-cost-related expenses.
Khairul Adzweri, co-founder of Asia Paintball Market
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