The Malaysian edition will launch later this month followed by Singapore in a few months time. Both editions will be published under a licensee arrangement between Loaded's UK publisher IPC and Knowledge Media, a new publishing firm set up by the Arab-Malaysian Corporation.
Loaded, which revolutionised the UK men's magazine market in the mid-90s with its mix of humour, sex and celebrities and spawned competitors like Emap's FHM and Maxim, will be watching its editorial tone in conservative Malaysia, said Daniel Goh, chief executive of Knowledge Media. "We will refrain from publishing risque photos of women, although the Malaysian edition will retain the humour and irreverence that the UK edition is renowned for. However he said Loaded could have more "fun" in Singapore as the city was slightly more liberal in its attitude.
Loaded's key rival is FHM, which claimed a Singapore circulation of 25,000, and an audited circulation of 35,000 in Malaysia. Goh, who helped launch FHM in Malaysia in 1998 when he was at PanPac Media (Emap's joint-venture partner), said: "I think the market is big enough for two men's lifestyle magazines."
