Why delay the release of Tanda Putera? [up-dated]

Listen to this Tanda Putera theme song as you read this posting

On July 17 before Ramadhan, the media and few bloggers were invited by film director, Datin Paduka Shuhaimi Baba, or comfortably called Shumi by her peers, for a sneek preview of Tanda Putera, an upcoming film due for release on September 13. 

Unfortunately, words were going around last week and mStar reported on July 19 that the movie’s release would be delayed to an unspecified date. [Read in here]

They denied it had anything to do with the general election.

Director General of the National Film Development Board or FINAS, Mohd Naguib Razak said it clashes with other events like Independence Day and Hari Raya celebration. He added that they need more time to promote this ‘heavy subject’ film to the universities and schools.


The reasons cited were unconvincing and defensive. Thanks for the invite but as a blogger, we’ll say it is a load of rubbish when we sense one!

Thus far, reviews by media, mainstream and alternative, to this tearjerker film described as dramatic, patriotic and inspiring have been good. [Read one review by entertainment blog Oh Bulan here.]

Our limited cinematic understanding - from our days running the North American Malaysian students paper and reading the polemics between film-makers Mansor Puteh and Los Angelos-based Mufti Jantan in the early 80s - thought the same.

The screenplay was good and compact, straight to the point, and delivers the message right from the bat. There was none of those time wasting scenes that used to be typical of Malaysian films.

It was well-researched and the sensitive areas delicately handled without compromising the truth. The script was excellent. Good casting and loved the multiracial casts.

And off course, superb directing from Shumi.

Great work, guys! Malaysia boleh!

There should not be any reason to hold back it’s release. 


With reference to Naguib’s reasons for the delay, why should the release of this genre of film clash with any of the Independence Day events? Shouldn’t it be part of the month long celebration?

Don’t say that the Independence month schedule is too packed for this film to be shown. What is the problem with running it concurrently with other events?

Tun Razak was reknown for his walk about and son, Dato Najib emulated it

This is not attacking Naguib but someone must have coached (or directed) him with wrong excuses and spin.

Logically, there is ample time to promote the film and Hari Raya is as good, if not the best and traditional time, to release new films. More so, with a two weeks school holiday coming soon.

While, schools and Universities is the last place that need promotion of a film documenting this piece of history.

Subversive elements was primarily faulted in the film for May 13 racial  clash

Even if we are wrong, what is really the reason?

Our instinct tells us that it must relate to some groups making an uproar over the depiction of the May 13 incident in the film.

Otherwise, why would Lim Kit Siang’s blog be writing incessantly of May 13 and in his stereotyped language and argument of nitpicking to perpetually accuse the Government and its leaders as inconsistent, in contradiction and hypocrits?

Another chaos scene caused by subversive elements

And that is how one spot a DAPster cybertrooper argue.

At the same time, these Komtar cybertroopers, who are already stretched to the limit to debunk Lim Guan Eng plastering himself at the end of the rainbow, are on a warpath to make sure this film fail big time.

It is easy to figure out.

There was a scene of two Chinese men pee at the foot of the flagpole in front of the then Menteri Besar house in Kampung Baru (now site of Selborn building) and slurring racially provocative words at the Menteri Besar inside the house.

When it happened, we were old enough to understand adult talk as to who did it.

The scene of Malay mob seeing blood on the sight of a Chinese student

We were told by YB Dato Zulkifli Nordin that when he mentioned of the scene in Parliament straight at the person’s face, he looked down, kept quiet and did not kick up his usual storm.

Not sure if someone uttered the name Mummy Foo to silence him but that is typical of him and his party members’ reactions when they are guilty as accused.

The only different one would be Lim Guan Eng who would instead lie or make up stories.

The touching moment of Tun Abdul Razak confiding of his terminal disease

So happen, Dato Zulkifli, actor and director Dato Yusof Haslam and actor A Galak were sitting near our seats. In the dark cinema, we heard them clearing their blocked noses. 


So does one big sized but mellowed heart blogger was sobbing like the rest in the hall. And .. okay, we’ll admit it. As much as we tried to contain and not embarass ourselves to a pretty young lass sitting a seat away, we did shed a bigger share of tears.

It is not just tears of sadness from such scene of Tun Abdul Razak confiding Tun Dr Ismail of his terminal leukemia condition when Tun Dr Ismail was himself trying to tell him of his ailing heart condition.

Neither was it merely the tears of happiness to see the great flood of Kuala Lumpur washed away the hate and misery of May 13 and brought hope and optimism to this new nation that many destined to be a time bomb waiting to explode into chaos for the colonials to reinvade.

Nor was it just the tears from being touched by Tun Razak’s kind and thoughtful gestures to give a ride and encourage Felda kids walking far to school, or that clutsy teacher in a delapidated rural school trying hard to hide the embarassment of a big hole between classrooms, or the presents he couldn’t give to his staff when he returned in a casket.

A usual scene in early Malaysia

The film and the events depicted was a reminder of our own life journey that coincide with the growing pain of this young nation finding it’s presence among the league of nations. 

There were too many personalities in the films that we grew up and relate with, and not to mention, those we personally know.

And there were too many scenes of the leaders, and people in the struggle and perseverance to overcome obstacles, develop the nation, and find its own achievement that reminded us of our own youth filled with our own fair share of experience.

It is sad and also tragic if the film is sent to the chop shop for editting to appease those with narrow agenda to vociferously accuse it for racial overtone without viewing the film first.. Shumi said it will happen. [Read in murai.com here]

Lies perpetrated when truth suppressed

As much as they seldom accused UMNO leaders occasional reminders for racial harmony and to avoid repetition of May 13 as raising the spectre of May 13, they should help to bury May 13 from any lies and disinformation.

For that, the truth shall set us free from the bounds of the past. The more we keep silent, the more will such lies as the foreign-referenced book May 13 book by Dr Kua Kia Soong will be perpetrated.

Was it not true that DAP and Gerakan participated in rallies that later turned racially provocative and violent?

Was it not true that Malay mobs killed innocent Chinese? Was it not true that Chinese mobs killed and injured innocent Malays and policemen?

Scene of subversive elements murdered a Malay and a Chinese rubber tapper

Was it not true also that there were Chinese being killed by Chinese?

For that matter, most of the snippets that form the montage on the May 13 incidents are true. Thus why do we need to deny these truth? Why this old habit of sweeping anything not so rosy under the carpet? 


When the truth is not made to be told, many will not understand, refuse to agree and resort to pepetuate shallow political perception game of hatred and blame. Delaying and censoring Tanda Putera will make this nation continue to be haunted by May 13. 


May 13 did not start as racial clash but was the work of subversion.

The film CLEARLY did not blame DAP or Gerakan or UMNO or anyone but blame subversive elements, terrorists and agitators infiltrating into political parties, unions, organisations, and public to invoke chaos through racial agitation.

The scene of Dr Ismail blasting foreign media for their exaggerated death figures. Dr Kua Kia Soong used the untallied death figure from foreign sources for his book. 

And there were those pesky foreign journalists that made situation worsening the mixed fire and oil by their lies and that was the explanation to Dr Kua’s malicious lies in his book.

As a new nation still grappling with its citizenry still in the infancy and the delicate security situation, the idea of strength from diversity has yet to sink in and it was fragile to agitations from instigators.

That was well depicted.

Two great men and their family sacrificed to help build this nation from the rubble of hate

The May 13 scenes was dramatic but it was fast and over with. 

The major part of the film was about this two great men, borne the responsibility to lead a nation and their selflessness and dedication to revive and propel the nation forward. The sacrifice they had to make was indeed both inspiring and touching for all Malaysian to appreciate and emulate.

For the young citizens, it should open their heart and minds to appreciate that the comfort that they have today was the sacrifice and efforts of others before them.

And the achievement the country made was not without it’s blood sweat and tear.

The scene of Tun Abdul Razak walking solemnly in Masjid Negara as he ponders of the challenges he has to face without the person he entrusted

Hopefully before they demand or expect anything for their comfort and luxury, they would be more responsible and thoughtful of the the fact that someone has to be tasked to do things.

Why not them?

For this important and emotive film to be unfairly delayed release, definitely someone must have made Naguib to hold back it’s release. He can deny it but we insist to believe that someone must be more powerful than he is and with the authority to do so.

That someone may have not given much thought but driven by the need to ampu the boss as though he had done a great service to protect the party from losing the general election if such film is released.

Most likely that someone posses much power and reknown for his tendency to interfere and put his hand in all the pies baked.This is someone is a control freak that insist all buck of his big organisation stops at his office.  

It does not bother him that he has turned the organisation under him  into a pumpkin repaired by mice in the same manner he has instructed to edit out 30% of the original version. [Read in gua.com here.] 

Caller: Tun ... there is someone from your time in your son's cabinet. Tun: He is wasting people's time. He should join me. I'll see if I can  haunt and scare him away

And, it does not bother this someone - with the pea-brain so antique that it should be a museum piece -  his act of censorship which is an out-dated notion in this era of uncontrolled flow of bits and bytes.

Talking of peas, it so happen that capital letter PEA is the abbreviation for the chemical, Phenylethylalamine. It is the chemical that makes one randy and dandy with pretty maids all in a row. Off course, not small-lettered pea-brain. He happens to be a benevolent employer.  

Without realising it, this someone's act of censorship is actually a disservice to the truth and perpetuating the existing lies of subversive elements that it will be more damaging to his political party.

If this someone bothered to think and not still living by his stoneage values, he would not fell for the propaganda to accuse this film as racial and pull the trigger of censorship. [Read Shumi’s comment in Murai.com here]

Shumi was so careful as to avoid the film being miscontrued as racist that she run the risk of angering some Malay by intentionally down playing the larger than life personality of Dato Harun Idris to only cameo scenes.

In fact, the suspicion was that this someone pre-empted the decision that any May 13 scene in the film is considered sensitive and will get censored.

Rumours of this sneeky someone connivingly meddling to delay the film release was the whispers among the media on sneek preview day. 

The sad part of this someone is that he is known by his between UMNO transitory party comrades as a pathetic bodeking expert.

This someone is willing and open enough to meet the controversdial Taiwan-trained filmaker, Namewee but closed his mind to this film. One can see what a big bully he is.

A scene of hope for this young country.
Mesej ini macam pun mahu censor ... Mr Analog?

He does not offers much hope to propel us into greater maturity and democrasy as a nation.

Basically this someone who posses an analog mind in a digital world is so out-dated in his method and failed badly in his task this time around.

This someone isover due for retirement, thus this should expedite his departure.Although it is unlikely to happen, it would be a great nation building act to UMNO and Malaysia that he not run in the next general election and be replaced by newer, more open and dynamic minds.

Bigdog have similiar resentment on this unnecessary delayed release of Tanda Putera here. MIK is countering the negative publicity against this film here.

Support Tanda Putera Facebook here.

Do not miss the trailer video below:

To my idol, Allahyarham Tun Abdul Razak bin Dato Hussein ....

Al Fatihah!

And also to Allahyarham Tun Dr Ismail bin Dato Abdul Rahman ...

Al Fatihah!