Entertainment
Mat Kilau's Representation of the Sikh Community Draws Mixed Reactions from Malaysians
‘Mat Kilau: Kebangkitan Pahlawan’ has been the talk of the town lately, and it surpassed ‘Munafik 2’ on 7 July 2022 to become the highest grossing Malaysian film ever, even beating out ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ in the local box office.
Set in 1892, the epic movie is loosely inspired by Mat Kilau, who defended Tanah Melayu by fighting against the British colonists before independence.
While the movie has achieved great success, it has drawn both negative and positive reactions from Malaysians. On one hand, it has breathed life into filming spots such as Kampung Telok Bakong, Bota, Perak by turning it into potential tourist destinations.
Selangor Ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah also encouraged the local Malay community to catch the film, saying, “I encourage the people of this nation, especially the Malays, to watch the movie for it to be an example and lesson on how a civilisation and nation could collapse in the event there is no unity and cooperation.”
Others such as United Nations affiliated organisation UNITED Sikhs Malaysia have given somewhat negative feedback about the movie by posting an online statement revealing how ‘turbaned-Sikhs who were British soldiers in the movie were portrayed to have laid hands on old folks, children, and helpless citizens’, something which is against the Sikh code of practice.
They further urged ‘the Malaysian Film Industry not to produce movies at the expense of hurting religious and racial sentiments’.
We checked out some reactions from netizens about the film which has poured in lately. One user commented under the UNITED Sikh’s Malaysia post saying “The culture of stepping over others at the expense of truth is becoming a norm in our multi racial country. Sad.”
Another chimed in by saying “It is a historical facts that Sikh, Gurkhas and few other races were used by British to oppressed any local uprising during their occupation. Fret not though, we already forget about the past. The movie is just what a movie is to many common folks.”
Some shared the same sentiment as the UNITED Sikhs Malaysia, who were unhappy about how some minorities such as Sikhs were portrayed:
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Others urged movie watchers to take it with a pinch of salt:
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Some shared how the movie made them more interested in local history:
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Have you headed to the cinema to catch the movie yourself? What are your thoughts?
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Image source: thepatriots.asia