KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA — In the true spirit of Malaysia’s National Day, Entropia and Tenaga Nasional Berhad’s (TNB) heart-warming Merdeka campaign film, “Raikan Malaysia Kita” celebrates the positive energy of Malaysians in the face of adversity.
Abiding by strict SOP’s and halted productions, the animated film, “Raikan Malaysia Kita”, which translates to “Celebrate Our Malaysia”, tells the stories of four Malaysians: Ridzuan Jamal, Ong Yong Xun, Paramesvary Munumsamy, and Nazirah Abd Rahman; overcoming the myriad challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, while also giving back to help others along the way.
Shukreen Ma, TNB’s head of corporate communications, reflected on Malaysians’ tenacity, coupled with their generous spirit during this time, “At TNB, we are guided by our purpose: “Better World Brighter Lives” to instill positive energy in everything we do. The film reflects one of our core values, which is Mindfulness, as it shines a light on how Malaysians power through adversities to brighten the lives of others during the pandemic.”
In the first story, Ridzuan, a former engineer from Sabah, started selling buns for RM1 during the pandemic. With his bun business, he provided job opportunities to others and fed hungry people.
Next is the story of Yong Xun, also known as Zero Ong, who created the JomStudy mobile app. Despite not having any coding knowledge, Zero Ong managed to develop the app housing SPM subject notes – hugely beneficial to students, especially those adapting to the new normal learning process.
A third story captures the generosity of Paramesvary and her children. The inspirational family worked together to cook and feed those in need, regardless of race or religion.
Finally, the selfless act of Nazirah, also known as Mama Pinky, is equally heart-warming as she willingly takes up two jobs to sustain the medical costs and provide meals for stray cats, despite having 50 cats of her own.
Zaheer Kaisar, creative director at Entropia, commented, “In these trying times, we need stories that’ll inspire and rally us together – so, for this campaign, the team, director, and clients were all inspired to retell a bigger and more imaginative story as a way to pay tribute to the amazing Malaysians the film’s characters represent. With illustrations and animation, we could beautifully capture the spirit and positive message behind this national holiday.”
April Toh, principal at Entropia, added, “By now we’ve all been stuck at home for more than 500 days, and while the pandemic robbed us of many things, there’s also much to be thankful for. This National Day, we wanted to remind Malaysians that there’s good energy among us, and that spark of positivity will inspire us to soldier on. Because only in unity and kindness, we will prevail.”
Viewers can also share stories of inspirational Malaysians on social media with the hashtag #RaikanMalaysiaKita. If selected, stories will be animated and shown on TNB’s Instagram account from 16 September 2021 onwards.
