When I was in school, I had a phase where I was flocked with Malay friends. Naturally, I listened to malay music as well as adored local malay artists. But that was as far as my interests ventured. Partly due to the fact that the one and only Malaysian produced malay movie titled Sembilu I watched then was hardly decent, even for the 12 year old me. I remembered laughing at the bad production, horrendous drama acting and the simple minded storyline which left a dent in my impression of Malaysian production.
It wasn’t until I left to college and heard my non-Malay friends raving about a Malaysian produced movie which was hardly anything but decent, instead brilliant. I took the plunge after more than 10 years, and watched Sepet. I laughed, I cried, I lived in the moment. It was as brilliant as everything they said it would be. From that day on, Yasmin Ahmad was a national hero to me. Someone has finally brought Malaysia down from the wall of shame in the world of screening productions. Since then, I have not missed a single one of her movies, except for the brilliant “muallaf” which was not allowed to be screened or sold here in the homeground, but has won numerous awards internationally.
Besides movie productions, Yasmin Ahmad produced many of the heart tugging advertisements which have been aired over the years. If you have watched an impactful one, chances are this amazing lady was behind the scenes. Remember all those Petronas festival ads, yup that’s her.
Sadly, Yasmin left us yesterday due to complications caused by the stroke she had two days ago. Malaysia does not know what loss they are experiencing yet. I was heart wrenched by the news and feverishly prayed for this wonderful woman as much as I could. But as how Yasmin Ahmad would see it, she would probably say that God loves her more to take her to His side so soon.
We have lost an amazing icon. The one and only woman who perfectly executed every single work she has produced. The woman who truly understood what underprivileged or minorities truly feel being part of Malaysia. Whose neighboring countries seeked her expertise feverishly while we worry about how to censor or discredit her every new work here in her very own homeground. I have never seen such subtlety being portrayed about the issues that races experience here in Malaysia than of what Yasmin has filmed. Yasmin’s work was tasteful, world class, unique, bold and simply true to the heart. She was a woman of vision. And my only regret is that I have never had a chance to meet this icon personally to just tell her how much her work has changed my life and the lives of many others.
It is an international loss that a woman with such talent has left us today. She will be missed and she will be always the one and only Yasmin Ahmad.
May her soul rest in peace.
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