Tatler Weekend Malaysia: Why Perak-born Fabian Fernandez set out to sail around the world
Editor’s note
“I’ll be darned if I understand you city folks. Always rushing, rushing, rushing. Always thinking about the future. No wonder you have stomach trouble,” says a character in Jules Verne’s Around the World in Eighty Days, which I first saw on my black-and-white TV as an animation series on Doordarshan, India’s state-run broadcaster.
I later picked up a secondhand copy at a local bookseller, and Jules Verne became one of my favourite authors. My young imagination took flight, transporting me to Victorian-era adventures alongside the meticulous Phileas Fogg.
It was 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, however, that truly captured my heart. Captain Nemo’s mysterious Nautilus became my portal to an underwater realm I’d never imagined. Each night, I would lie in bed picturing giant squids and deep-sea creatures illuminated by the submarine’s beams. These stories didn’t merely entertain—they planted seeds of wanderlust that grew into my lifelong love for travel. When my son was born, we promised that, despite my demanding corporate career, we would introduce him to a new country and culture every year.
In this Tatler Weekend, we spotlight individuals who have the courage to live their own Jules Verne adventures: an explorer who gave up his corporate career to sail the world, a marine biologist—dubbed the Champion of the Earth by the United Nations—who holds the record for the deepest untethered sea walk, and others!
As Jacques Cousteau once said, “The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”
This truth extends beyond the sea to travel itself. And indeed, my son now averages 1.2 countries for each year of his life.
Enjoy Tatler Weekend!
Parminder Singh
Parminder Singh
Chief Operating Officer
Dr Sylvia Earle on how science and storytelling can turn the tide for our blue planet
Legendary oceanographer, marine biologist and explorer Dr Sylvia Earle talks to Mathilda D’Silva, founder and CEO of social enterprise Ocean Purpose Project, about the ocean as our life support system and how we must make it accessible and encourage connection to inspire its protection
Sitting across from Dr Sylvia Earle, known fondly as ‘Her Deepness’, I can’t help but feel both awe and kinship. She may not remember it, but this is the second time we have met. The first was a chance encounter at the Ismaili Centre, Lisbon—a surreal morning of having coffee and a tour of Prince Hussain Aga Khan’s huge photographic portraits of sea animals. “Mathilda!” exclaimed Dr Earle. “You remind me of this turtle we photographed who kept snapping and cuddling up to the prince.” I sheepishly smiled and replied, “Yes, that sounds like a Mathilda alright.”
It is a beguiling experience to be close to such excellence. This is a woman who is as comfortable among princes and presidents as she is diving and walking on the seabed—in 1979 she achieved a Guinness World Record for the deepest untethered sea walk of 1,250 ft underwater. Having authored more than 200 publications, lectured in 80 countries, been awarded 27 honorary degrees, and led over 100 marine expeditions with more than 7,000 hours underwater, there is no doubt behind the respect and admiration Dr Earle commands and no question as to why the United Nations dubbed her Champion of the Earth.
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Farwiza Farhan, the guardian of the Leuser Ecosystem
This young environmental leader from Aceh, Indonesia is determined to protect the Leuser Ecosystem, one of the world’s most biodiverse areas
In the heart of Sumatra lies the Leuser Ecosystem, a sanctuary where critically endangered species such as tigers, orangutans, elephants, and rhinos coexist—a rarity in today's world. Located in the provinces of Aceh and North Sumatra in Indonesia, the 2.6 million-hectare area is considered one of the most biodiverse places on earth.
It is so important to the world’s environmental balance that it was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004 and a protected National Strategic Area in 2008. Despite this, however, the Leuser Ecosystem continues to face existential threats brought about by deforestation, land conversion, commercialisation and weak law enforcement. In 2012, the threat was heightened when the Leuser Ecosystem Management Authority, or Badan Pengelola Kawasan
Ekosistem Leuser (BPKEL)—a special body that had been tasked with protecting the Leuser and managing its wildlife—was abolished by the Aceh government, leaving the ecosystem without a single unified body to look after it.
This is the challenge that Farwiza Farhan has made her life’s work. Herself born in Aceh, the 39-year-old environmentalist co-founded the Forest, Nature, and Environment of Aceh Foundation, or Yayasan Hutan, Alam dan Lingkungan Aceh (HAkA), from the ashes of BPKEL. The grassroots organisation is now at the forefront of efforts to safeguard the ecosystem, using advocacy, legal action and community empowerment.
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What this adventurer’s journey around the world can teach us about fulfilment
Driven by personal loss and a desire for more than career success, Fabian Fernandez decided to set out to sail around the world on his boat. Now, halfway through his journey, he reflects on the spiritual and transformative power of sailing and how it’s reshaping his outlook on life
Fabian Fernandez was 53 years old when he made a life-altering decision that would set him apart as one of Malaysia’s most extraordinary adventurers. While most of his peers were settling into retirement or steering corporate careers, Fernandez chose the open seas. His goal: To become the fourth Malaysian to sail around the world, covering 30 countries and about 40,000 nautical miles. But beyond the physical and technical feats, Fernandez’s voyage is deeply spiritual—one that is reshaping his sense of purpose and how he views life itself.
Read more: Protecting the Land of the Thunder Dragon: Karma Phuntsho prepares Bhutan for the future
‘It’s That Time of Year’: Apl.de.Ap of Black Eyed Peas pays it forward—this time with the Sisters of Mary Schools in the Philippines
Apl.de.Ap’s journey from a small barrio in Pampanga to international stardom fuels his passion for philanthropy. His latest project—a Christmas song born of hope and collaboration—reflects this commitment
The voices of children filled the room, bright and full of promise. Filipino-American singer and music producer Apl.de.Ap watched as the students of the Sisters of Mary Schools performed during his visit, a moment that transported him back to his own beginnings. Though he went from a small barrio in Pampanga to global fame with the Black Eyed Peas, Apl.de.Ap’s journey has never taken him too far away from his roots.
Born Allan Pineda Lindo, the musician grew up in Barrio Sapang Bato, Angeles City, Pampanga. At the age of 14, he was adopted by the Hudgens family and moved to Los Angeles, California—but he stayed deeply connected to his Filipino heritage. “I was a sponsored kid given an opportunity, and I became a Black Eyed Pea,” he reflects. “It’s important for me to pay it forward and give back, to reciprocate the opportunity that was given to me.” He wrote about his story in the autobiographical The APL Song, on the Black Eyed Peas’ 2004 album, Elephunk. In the song, he writes about how life in the margins of the Philippines might sound like “hell, but to me it was heaven”, and how “everyone helping each other whenever they can / we making it happen, from nothing to something” was a way of life.
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