theSun | THURSDAY MAY 7 2009
INTERVIEWS VIEWS conversations
The power of open minds and
healthy discussions
THE CREATIVE WORK OF ACTOR CUM DIRECTOR SHAHILI ABDAN HAS
BEEN DESCRIBED AS RADICAL, BOLD AND GROUND-BREAKING.
THE 40-YEAR-OLD, WHO IS BETTER KNOWN AS NAMRON, TALKS TO
BISSME S. ABOUT HIS LATEST FILM GADUH, HIS FEARS ON GROWING
RACIAL TENSION AND HIS STAND AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY AND ISA.
What inspired you to start RAT?
Very often, fresh graduates from art
colleges are clueless about where to go to
improve their talent. Soon enough, some
of them will get frustrated and disappear,
and not be heard again. They need encour-
agement. When I graduated, I had a lot
of encouragement from Faridah Merican
(The Actors Studio), Krishen Jit and Marion
D’Cruz (Five Arts Centre) to continue my
passion as an artist.
I want to do the same for the younger
generation. So I created a platform where the
younger generation can express themselves
and have a chance to showcase their talent.
To each his own
by Yap Mun Ching
MOTIVATED by thoughts of being a good
Samaritan, I paused when approached by a
middle-aged Englishman and his Asian com-
panion while on my way to the bus stop one
day. As the elderly man appeared as though
he needed assistance to communicate with
his friend, I replied in the affirmative when
he asked if I understood Chinese. To my
surprise, he proceeded to pull out a colour-
ful booklet from his satchel illustrated with
smiling, happy people. Alarm
bells rang in my head and my
suspicions were soon con-
firmed. The pair turned out to
be Jehovah Witnesses out on a
Sunday mission to proselytise
to “lost” Asians. Thankfully, my
bus arrived in the nick of time.
This encounter brought to
mind other times that I had
been accosted about religion.
Some years ago, a university
friend invited me to a home-
cooked meal and an after din- Freespace
ner-screening of a movie about Where young views rule
a man with nose cancer who
found God upon realising his
mortality. I never returned her call. Another subject to no one else’s authority.
time, a persistent Methodist pretended to
ask for directions then pressed me to join
her in church. I also remember being forced
to agree to be Buddhist because the person
to whom I was speaking could not accept
that I did not practise any religion.
Under most circumstances, these epi-
sodes would just be a source of annoyance
but in the context of Malaysia, they assume
particular significance because religion is
an identity factor which is able to confer or brother Raul led the rebellion against the
deny civil rights. Certainly, there is no way Batista regime, their irregular visits home
of escaping it. Religious identification is
as important as ethnic identification even
in everyday matters. It is impossible, for
instance, to fill in a form without having to
declare one’s religious affiliation whether
one is applying for a passport or a SIM card. Fidel’s faults were as leader, I thought his
At least when it comes to “race”, there is
the option of selecting “others”. This facile should be offered to those who ask for it.
courtesy is not even extended to those
who do not want to be associated with any
faith. Our choices are rather stark: Muslim,
Buddhist, Hindu or Christian. On the occa-
sion that I leave the section blank, the clerk chord closer to home. Comments: letters@
would automatically mark me as a Buddhist
What is your latest project?
I just co-directed a film titled Gaduh with
Brenda Danker. It highlights the racial ten-
sion between Malay and Chinese students
in a school. It happened to me when I was
in school. I hope Gaduh will spark a healthy
discussion on racial tension.
Why do you like to highlight sensitive
themes?
I believe we must be able discuss any
issue with an open mind and only then will
we be able to find some solutions.
Not discussing certain issues is like
sweeping rubbish under the carpet. The
since I do not have a Western first name.
My objection to association with faith
has nothing to do with opposition to religion
but to the many abuses that it has been
subjected to. Too many have used religion
to justify awful deeds that its place in the
public sphere has become suspect to say
the least. As religion is such an important
aspect of many Malaysians’ lives, it is all the
more important that each person’s rights are
adequately protected against infringements.
Therefore, it is particularly disappointing that
while the Federal Constitution
guarantees freedom of religion,
the law does such a poor job
of protecting this fundamental
right.
Individual rights protection
is clearly lacking when the
government has to step in
rather than the law upholding
their primacy. In a multi-religion
state, interfaith matters have to
be addressed openly and fairly,
otherwise, religion can become
a source of conflict. The other
alternative is to leave religion
in the private realm, a matter
of personal belief that should be
Whenever I contemplate these debates
about religion, I always recall an encounter
with a prominent atheist. Some 10 years
ago, I attended a lecture by Fidel Castro
when he visited Kuala Lumpur. Someone had
asked him about his religious beliefs and his
reply was that he believed in neither religion
nor God but would not interfere with those
who do.
His reasoning was that when he and his
would be marked with thanksgiving prayers
by his mother and aunt. He left them to it
because he could not take away the only
thing the women felt they could do against
their loved ones dying at war. Many though
approach was most compassionate. Faith
Otherwise, it is kinder, more tolerant and
harmonious to leave others to their own.
Mun Ching’s encounters in London strike a
thesundaily.com
place may look clean but we should ask: Is the
place really clean? How long can we sweep it under
the carpet?
Sooner or later the rubbish will slip out.
We are always saying that we do not have racial
tensions and we get along very well. But is that a
true picture?
Some people say Malaysian audiences are not
matured enough to discuss sensitive issues
with an open mind.
If you say that, then I have failed as an artist
and you have failed as a journalist. We should
train audiences to come to that level. It is our
responsibility. If artists like me and journalists
like you are brave enough to discuss these so-
called sensitive issues with an open mind, the
audience will follow our example. Society is what
we expose them to.
You find urban folk are more exposed com-
pared to rural folk. Why is that? It is because there
are underground films, theatres and music in
urban areas compared to rural areas.
As a result, the urban folk are not subject to
one point of view. They can see different opinions
floating around.
Some people say you love to highlight sensi-
tive themes for the sake of being controversial
and cheap publicity.
(He laughs). If I want to be controversial and
get cheap publicity, all I have to do is include a
kissing scene in my work. I would be
famous. My face would be splashed in
the newspapers. But I have not done If I
that.
If artists always talk about safe top- make a
ics, then we will never progress, we
will never push boundaries and we will
political play
never find solutions to our problems. and criticise
Your works paint a picture you hate the political
the country. Is that true?
The mentality here is if we criticise system it
someone that means you hate someone.
Criticising and hating are two different doesn’t
things.
If I make a political play and criticise
mean I hate
the political system it doesn’t mean I my country.
hate my country. It is because I want the
situation to improve. I want to stay in It is because
this country for a long time and I want
my children to stay here for a long time, I want the
too. Therefore, I want my country to be
a better place.
situation to
I don’t have an agenda. As an artist improve. “
I always mingle with the crowd and I
listen to their opinions. I sit in the coffee
shop and listen to their conversations.
What I am presenting on stage and
screen is what people are thinking and talking.
Why do you like creating work that carries
political themes?
The relationship between our politics and our
society is very close. They influence each other
very much. I like to make one thing clear: I am
not a supporter of any political party. If the opposi-
tion takes over the government … Are we saying
corruption will disappear? Are we saying abuse of
power will stop? The opposition are not perfect. We
have to keep our eyes on them as well.
In a democratic country like ours, it is the people
who should have the power, not the government
and not any political party. It is the people who
should have the last say. It is the people who should
benefit the most.
But I am glad to say the last election result
showed things are changing and people are realis-
ing they have the power to make a change.
I am also glad to see we now have a two-party
system. In this way any government or political
party has to be on its toes, keep its record clean and
aim to keep the people happy.
If the people are not happy, they can always
9
change you in the next general election. It goes to
show the government has to hear what the people
want and fulfil their needs.
One good example, when Najib was appointed
as the prime minister, he immediately released 13
ISA detainees. I was happy about that.
Some people will say it was not done with genu-
ine intention, that it was more of a political move
for his party to win people’s hearts. They could be
right but in the end, it is the people who benefit
the most.
The (detainees’) families are happy
to get back their loved ones who were
behind bars. It builds hope among us
that there is more freedom.
What is the one single change
you like to see?
Frankly, we have to re-look our
racial policies. I find over the years
we have become very suspicious. We
do not trust each other.
Whenever I am with my own
race, I sometimes hear them making
unkind remarks about others. If my
own race is talking like this, I guess
others are doing the same.
I keep thinking why this mentality
exists. We are living under one roof.
We should be acting as one family.
We should be able to think of our-
selves as Malaysians. We should trust
each other. But we are not.
Such a negative attitude is not
healthy in the long run. It could be
– Namron likened to a small fire in the forest. If
it is not controlled, the whole forest
could burn down.
You are against the Internal Security Act.
You even produced a play about it. But some
people say ISA is necessary for stability.
Is the ISA being used for the stability of the
country or is it being used to maintain the stabil-
ity of certain individuals. That is the question we
should ask?
If you hear that someone is going to blow up
KLCC and you detain him, that is understandable.
I would say you are putting your country’s inter-
est first. You are preventing innocent people from
getting hurt.
If you are going to detain someone for writing a
blog then you are making a mockery of the ISA. The
ISA has been abused. Confining someone without
trial can be inhumane.
I am also against the death penalty. If a murderer
sincerely repents then we should forgive him.
Have you gotten into trouble with the law for
your work?
I have not been called up to the police station
and I have not been put behind bars. I thank my
lucky stars.