Few Takers For 'Tanda Putera' In KL.

KUALA LUMPUR: Despite the hype surrounding Tanda Putera, there were few takers for the show at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Screen Cinema (GSC) halls.
 According to a cinema cashier, the movie has not been very popular, while an attendant said only 48 out of a total of 274 seats were occupied for the 2.15pm show yesterday.
 “That’s not even half the cinema, and it’s been like this since it started showing,” he said. There were about 60 cinema goers for the 5.15pm showing, and only a few advance bookings were seen for the 7.45pm and 12.45am screenings, despite it being a Saturday as well as a public holiday.
 The movie, directed by Datin Paduka Shuhaimi Baba, costs RM4.8mil to produce, and was a joint effort by the National Film Development Corporation (Finas) and the Multimedia Development Corporation.
 Tanda Putera is a story of Malaysia’s second Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein and his good friend, the then Home Affairs Minister Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman.
 Several groups have complained that the movie had portrayed minorities in the bad light, with some alleging the film does nothing for national integration, but instead, stokes hatred.
 A similarly cool response from cinema goers was also seen in Penang yesterday, with a check revealing that only 42 tickets were sold for a 305-seat hall at the 2.25pm screening at GSC Queensbay Mall.
 However, it was a different scenario at the Mega Cineplex Megamall Pinang in Prai, where Permatang Pauh Umno Youth chief Mohd Zaidi Mohd Said booked the entire 160-seat cineplex for the 1.45pm screening for members of the division and his friends.
 “I did not see any sensitive issues or elements in the movie which might incite racist sentiments. “There is a scene which depicts a man peeing on the Malaysian flag, but people should be given the chance to judge for themselves whether it reflects the truth,” he said.
 Azlan Ali, 37, who works as a driver, said he would consider watching the movie to find out for himself if the movie reflected a true account of what happened.
 “Considering that it is controversial, I am a little cautious about the contents, but I hope that there will be a message at the end that will contribute to the values of National Day,” said Azlan at Queensbay Mall. A 20-year-old student who wanted to be known as Hafiz Kulai said he preferred action-packed movies to those about history.
 “Even if I decided to watch a local movie, I might not select Tanda Putera due to the reviews I received from my friends, who told me the story is less than balanced in several aspects.”

Men Shot To Death While Praying In Temple With Family.

KOTA TINGGI: A man was shot dead at point-blank range while praying with his wife and children at a temple near Gelang Patah last night.
 K. Jaganathan (pic), 37, who had eight criminal records, was gunned down before his horrified family and onlookers about 7.30pm.
 Initial police investigations revealed that earlier, the gunman had arrived on a motorcycle ridden by an accomplice outside the temple in Taman Nusantara.
 He walked into the temple and upon confronting Jaganathan, fired several shots in the direction of the victim and escaped on the motorcycle.
 Johor police chief Datuk Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff said the victim, from Taman Universiti near Skudai, was sent to a nearby clinic but died upon arrival.
 He said the body was sent to the Sultanah Aminah Hospital in Johor Baharu. “More than two hours after the shooting incident, the police detained a suspect in his 30s, in Gelang Patah to facilitate investigations.
 “A task force headed by acting state CID chief, ACP Azizan Anan, has been set up to investigate the killing. We are also in the midst of intensifying ‘Ops Cantas’ to track down those involved,” he told reporters here today.
 It is understood that Jaganathan was previously detained under the Emergency Ordinance at the Simpang Renggam prison. He was also believed to have been linked with a secret society.

Movie On Malaysian On Death Row In Singapore In The Offing.

PETALING JAYA: A local filmmaker will produce a movie based on the life of Yong Vui Kong (pic), a Malaysian who is facing the death penalty in Singapore for drug trafficking.
 To be called Letters From Death Row, the movie was inspired by Sabah-born Yong who was caught trafficking 47.27g of heroin in the republic when he was 19.
 Yong was apparently working as a mule for an unidentified criminal boss when he was arrested in 2007. He was barely 18 at the time, but the prosecution declined to reduce the charge against him, and hence, Yong faces mandatory death.
 According to independent film producer Kit Lim, he was personally touched that a 19-year-old faced his own mortality with dignity, even as he is remorseful.
 “I hope this film will be able to highlight the problems that arise from the mandatory death penalty, whereby young, poor and illiterate drug mules are executed while those responsible go unpunished.
 “We have condemned young drug mules to death instead of going after the culprits producing these substances and putting them in the hands of children,” the 28-year-old said in an interview.
 Lim said the film, in the style of a docudrama, will feature actual letters written by Yong from prison in Singapore.
 Due to limited funds, Lim said he and his crew have started collecting donations online for the venture that should be completed within two years.
 Shooting will take place in Yong’s hometown in Sandakan, Sabah, as well as Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. “Our target is to raise US$15,000 (RM49,300), but we will proceed with this movie no matter how much we get,” he said.
 Yong, now 25, may stand a chance at having his original sentence commuted to life sentence following some legal reforms in Singapore pertaining to the death sentence in certain drug trafficking and murder cases.

'KL Gengster 2 Di Sabotaj': Syamsul Tak Tidur, Berkurung Dalam Bilik.

Penerbit dan pengarah tersohor, Datuk Yusof Haslam memberitahu keadaan anaknya, Syamsul cukup tertekan dengan kejadian karya ke lapan arahannya, KL Gangster 2 yang telah dicerobohi oleh pihak yang tidak bertanggungjawab.
 Menurut Yusof, sejak hari pertama mendapat berita tersebut pada Rabu lalu, Syamsul tidak boleh tidur sebaliknya dia hanya duduk di depan komputer kerana mahu memadamkan setiap link yang tersebar di laman-laman sesawang.
 "Sebagai pembikin filem, Syamsul cukup kecewa. Semasa tahu dia tahu tentang berita ni, dia hubungi ibunya dulu. Kemudian dia hubungi saya. Saya jumpa dia dan saya peluk dia. Saya beri dia semangat. Saya katakan padanya, walau apapun yang terjadi, saya akan tetap sentiasa menyokong dia.
 "Sejak hari pertama dia dapat berita ni dia tak boleh tidur. Dia jaga internet. Dia pun aya tengok dah bertambah kurus", katanya ketika di sidang media khas bagi menghuraikan isu filem KL Gangster 2 telah dibocorkan di internet.
 Dalam pada itu ibu Syamsul, Datin Fatimah Ismail yang turut hadir pada sidang media berkenaan juga sempat memberitahu, Syamsul asyik mengurungkan dirinya di dalam bilik.
 "Dia asyik berkurung dalam bilik. Katanya dia nak berjuang habis-habisan. Dia nak padamkan link-link yang keluar di internet", katanya. KL Gangster 2 yang merupakan filem prekuel kepada KL Gangster mula dihasilkan sejak pertengahan 2011.
 Filem terbitan Skop Production yang menelan kos RM 4.5 juta ni menampilkan barisan pelakon seperti Aaron Aziz, Adi Putra dan Rosyam Nor. Filem inijuga secara eksklusifnya bakal menemui para penonton di 100 buah pawagam seluruh Malaysia mula 3 Oktober ini dan sebanyak 7 pawagam di Singapura.

Saman, Heret Dalang Ke Muka Pengadilan Tanpa Kompromi- Yusof Haslam

Dalam pada kita semua menanti tayangan filem yang disebut-sebut bakal meraih kutipan pecah panggung luarbiasa, KL Gangster 2, alih-alih pada Rabu lalu industri filem tempatan dikejutkan dengan berita, filem arahan Syamsul Yusof itu telah disabotaj!
 Selain daripada Syamsul yang sangat kecewa dengan insiden tersebut, sudah pasti bapanya juga iaitu penerbit dan pengarah tersohor, Datuk Yusof Haslam yang melahirkan rasa marah sekaligus menyifatkan kegiatan haram berkenaan sebagai perbuatan sabotaj yang kecam dan amat menjijikkan.
 "Ini pertama kali perkara begini terjadi dalam sejarah filem Melayu. Tinggal sebulan saja lagi filem ini akan ditayangkan tapi ia telah dicetak rompak. Walaupun hanya 50% filem itu telah disebarkan yang mana ianya belum pun menjalani apa-apa suntingan tapi insiden ini memberikan kesan yang sangat besar pada kami.
 Ini satu perbuatan sabotaj yang kejam dan menjijikan! "Sebenarnya daripada awal lagi saya dapat rasakan akan berlaku perkara seperti ini.
 Ketika Syamsul di Bangkok lagi untuk proses suntingan, dia ada menghubungi saya, katanya, "Papa, sekarang ni dunia digital. Jadi kita kena pastikan tak ada pihak yang cuba bocorkan di internet", kata Datuk Yusof Haslam dengan nada kesal.
 Beliau ditemui pada satu sidang media khas bagi menghuraikan kes membabitkan filem anaknya itu, bertempat di Perbadanan Kemajuan Filem Nasional Malaysia (FINAS), petang semalam.
 Namun begitu Yusof menegaskan pihaknya tidak akan berdiam diam diri dan tidak berputus mengesan siapakah yang tergamak melakukan perbuatan cetak rompak ini. Tindakan tegas akan diambil dan pihaknya akan mengheret penyangak digital terbabit ke muka pengadilan tanpa kompromi.
 Malah beliau mahu menyaman individu tersebut dengan jumlah jutaan ringgit. "Kepada mereka yang melakukan perbuatan cetak rompak ni, kalau mereka rasa mereka bijak menggunakan internet, mereka kena ingat pihak berkuasa juga punya cara untuk mengesan perbuatan mereka.
 "Pihak kami sedang mengumpul bukti dan setakat ini sudah ada beberapa petunjuk tentang dalang tersebut namun kami tidak menuduh secara melulu, biar pihak berkuasa menjalankan siasatan mereka.
 Saya akan pastikan perompak itu dibawa ke muka pengadilan tanpa kompromi dan saya akan saman pihak terbabit dalam jumlah jutaan ringgit!", tegasnya yang turut memaklumkan perkara ini sekarang dalam siasatan polis.
 Tetap Tayang 3 Oktober Dalam pada itu Yusof berkata KL Gangster 2 akan tetap ditayangkan 3 Oktober ini. Meskipun beliau mendapat nasihat daripada pelbagai pihak termasuk Menteri di Kementerian Komunikasi Dan Multimedia Dato' Sri Ahmad Shabery Cheek yang menyarankan agar filem itu ditayangkan awal daripada tarikh sepatutnya, namun Yusof enggan berbuat demikian.
 "Filem ini tetap akan ditayangkan pada 3 Oktober dan kita akan jalankan agenda promosi seperti yang telah dirancang bersama rakan kongsi Grand Brilliance. Datuk Shabery ada menghubungi saya dan beliau sarankan agar tayangkan awal.
 Kalau ikutkan pun pihak pawagam boleh membenarkan kami menukr tarihk tayangan memandangkan ini special case. "Tapi saya tidak mahu dan tidak tergamak untuk berbuat begitu kerana saya menghormati produser-produser lain yang sedang menantikan tayangan masing-masing.
 Saya juga menghormati syarat wajib tayang. InsyaAllah kalau ada rezeki, filem ni tetap akan mendapat sambutan. KL Gangster 2 yang merupakan filem prekuel kepada KL Gangster mula dihasilkan sejak pertengahan 2011.
 Filem terbitan Skop Production yang menelan kos RM 4.5 juta ni menampilkan barisan pelakon seperti Aaron Aziz, Adi Putra dan Rosyam Nor. Filem ini juga secara eksklusifnya bakal menemui para penonton di 100 buah pawagam seluruh Malaysia da sebanyak 7 pawagam di Singapura.