The writer initially thought he was watching a Hong Kong film. It was only after spotting Malaysian actors, Kuala Lumpur streetscapes, and hearing familiar Malay dialogue from daily life that I was certain this was a purely local production. Although its plot shares similarities with Hong Kong film Internal Affairs, it does not diminish the value of the Malaysian film Chelot, which can rightly be called a pride of Malaysia.
First and foremost, this is a film co-invested, produced, and performed by the three major ethnic groups with other minority communities. Cliché as it sounds, it reflects the advantage of our country’s multicultural fabric. Director Adrian Teh was one of the key reasons that drew me to the cinema. Having previously directed several box-office Malay hit movies, I had also watched his workPASKAL:The Movie. Adrian Teh is adept and well-versed at directing Malay action films, holding a proven box-office draw.
I also saw Tong Bing Yu’s name listed among the producers; having transitioned successfully from acting to producing, she actively drives the development of the entertainment industry.
Our local Chinese entertainment industry is filled with talent; once the right opportunity meets the right talent, it will surely shine. Unfortunately, the local Chinese film and television sector has long been constrained by a lack of reh
Much like PASKAL received government support and endorsement, Chelot is no exception. Full support and cooperation from the Ministry of Communications, the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS), the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM), and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) allowed the production team to focus on creative work with fewer worries. They were even able to shoot on location across multiple sites, which not only created iconic scenes in the film but also presented an authentic view of Kuala Lumpur’s cityscape.
What left me most astonished was a heavy-firepower brawl between two rival gangs in Brickfields’ “Little India,” as well as the climax in a village—a police-versus-robbers showdown reminiscent of a military operation complete with drone bombardments, sending the audience’s adrenaline soaring. The director executed it brilliantly, and the audience enjoyed every second.
The iconic moments don’t stop there. One highlights a five-minute and 19-second single-take action scene spanning 1.9 kilometers through a Kuala Lumpur high-speed car chase and gunfight—stretching from Quill City Mall all the way to Pertama Complex without a single edit. It was officially certified by The Malaysia Book of Records as the longest single-take action scene in Malaysian cinema history.
As long as no one makes unnecessary criticisms about the plot damaging Kuala Lumpur’s image, local filmmakers’ creativity and imagination can be given full play.
Chelot demonstrates that Malaysian action cinema has made significant strides. For local audiences who have long been “spoiled” by big-budget productions from China, Hong Kong, and Hollywood, Chelot may still show traces of borrowing and imitation. However, from the producers and production team to the cast, one can see their dedication to the craft—and this level of seriousness is precisely the foundation the Malaysian film industry needs to build over the long haul.
For local cinema to go further, funding, technology, and markets are undoubtedly important. But more crucially, creators must take their work seriously and respect the audience who buys tickets to watch it. A film can be constrained by budget, but lack of rey production
Regrettably, the Malaysian film and television industry has long faced interference from non-professional bodies, often taking one step forward only to be forced several steps back due to individual controversial content.
Recently, following controversies over the plots of Madu atau Racun and Cela, FINAS planned to submit similar scripts to the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) for evaluation while tightening the certification conditions for filming permits. This effectively allows a religious institution to move from reviewing individual controversial pieces to intervening in the entire media production process.
Malaysia is a multi-religious nation. While film and television productions must naturally abide by the law, creative boundaries should not be dictated solely by single-religious values.
Furthermore, vague concepts like “responsible creation” must not become a pretext for the continuous expansion of censorship power. Once filming permits are integrated with JAKIM’s regulations—even if JAKIM lacks the direct statutory authority to regulate films—it can still indirectly influence all local productions through FINAS, ultimately exacerbating self-censorship among creators.
What the Malaysian film industry needs are clear, consistent, and professional standards applicable to all citizens, rather than adding yet another religious hurdle. Otherwise, the government’s claim of supporting the creative industry will ultimately become a contradiction—encouraging creation on one hand while suffocating creative space on the other.
(Anthony Chong is Sin Chew Daily Leader Writer.)
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FinasJAKIMChelotMalay movies
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