Double Vision Pictures' Lim Siu Min on tackling tough social issues in Astro Shaw's 'Liar'

Ahead of the show's first episode on March 25, we speak to director Lim Siu Min on addressing sexual assault through a female Muslim lens and why it's an uncomfortable but necessary conversation for television today

Last year, Astro acquired the rights to adapt Liar, a BAFTA-nominated British thriller series highlighting the deception, misunderstanding, and gender bias surrounding a school teacher who accuses a respected surgeon of rape. The project marks the first adaptation of its kind for Astro Originals in collaboration with All3Media International and award-winning Malaysian production house Double Vision. The local adaptation boasts a strong cast led by Siti Zaqyah Abdul Razak (or Tiz Zaqyah, as she’s also known) and Tony Eusoff.

Tiz, 34, stars as Lara Sulaiman, a recently divorced teacher who hesitantly agrees to go on a date with single father and well-known surgeon Aiman Yusuf (portrayed by Tony). The relationship quickly takes a disastrous turn when Lara accuses Aiman of raping her right after their first date. With the evidence against her and Aiman’s fervent denials of her accusations, Lara takes things into her own hands in a twist of events that will leave viewers questioning who the real liar is.

Min Lim, head of production at Double Vision Malaysia

Above Lim Siu Min is the executive producer and director of 'Liar' (Photo: Min Lim)

Double Vision's head of production Lim Siu Min, better known as Min Lim, worked on this Malaysian adaptation as executive producer and director alongside co-directors Jason Chong and Imri Nasution. Lim is known for producing the highly acclaimed series The Bridge, the first Asian adaptation of the Swedish-Danish production of Hans Rosenfeldt's Nordic noir crime television series. Having also worked closely with the Women's Aid Organisation (WAO) in the past, Lim was excited for the chance to produce a Malaysian television show addressing issues of sexual assault and rape in a Malaysian context, rather than a direct replica of the popular British series.

"We wanted this show to be authentic to the Malaysian experience," Lim shares. "When we were finally able to get Liar back on track after the pandemic, I told Astro that we had to work with WAO. It was from conversations with WAO that I learned that many female victims of sexual assault don't come forward to say they have been assaulted until three to five days after the rape has happened, by which time the evidence is gone."

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Besides poring over sobering statistics from WAO, Lim’s research for Liar involved retracing the steps that rape victims have to take in the lead-up to making an official police report. “I asked many women among my friends whether or not they knew what to do if they or someone they knew became victims of sexual assault,” she says. “Surprisingly, not many knew what to do. Do you go to the police first? What do you do?

"For instance, not many people know that most major government hospitals have a one-stop crisis centre (OSCC), which is where victims can go to get examined for sexual assault or any other forms of abuse. Then they can decide whether or not to make a police report via OSCC.”

Lim recounts the difficulty of reading the OSCC policy handbook from cover to cover in order to better understand the process that sexual assault victims typically go through. “As someone who has never been a victim of sexual assault or harassment, I'll say that the rape examination scene in the first episode of Liar was incredibly tough for me. Tiz did an amazing job portraying that raw emotion, awkwardness and shame.

"Imagine that scenario—you’ve just been violated and now you have to be examined for signs of rape, you’re being prodded and examined. I really wanted to portray that—what a woman goes through after she says she’s been sexually assaulted, and kudos to Astro for not cutting any of that out.”

Above A scene from 'Liar' (Photo: Astro Shaw)

A key focus for the series, Lim adds, was to examine sexual assault from a Muslim lens, which meant having female Muslim representation in the writers’ room. “Many women are under enormous religious and cultural pressure not to report it when it happens. In some cases, their families approach the assailant in order to settle things so as not to involve the police.

“What I like about this show is seeing the main character, a Muslim woman, who really takes control and takes a stand, regardless of the stigma and the shame. But then we also see the fallout of what happens when she does.”

Lim credits the cast of Liar for delivering incredible performances and being willing to be a part of creating much-needed conversations about women’s rights and sexual assault in Malaysia. “I remember speaking to Tiz about how some scenes were going to be quite controversial. And she would respond by saying, ‘It doesn’t matter. Anything to get the story told'. I’m proud of the cast and the fact that we’re doing something that’s not been done before in Malaysian television.”

Above Lim on the set of 'Liar'

It's not surprising to learn that Lim is apprehensive about the response when Liar finally airs but that hadn't prevented her and her team from telling an entertaining story with an important social message. “The fact is, 10 or so years ago, our highest-grossing local movie was one in which a woman marries her rapist. Granted, it was adapted from a book, but I’m not sure they understood what kind of message they were sending out there. It’s certainly not one that I subscribe to and I know it’s certainly not one that many women subscribe to.

"Don't get me wrong, being able to look at sexual assault in this way is difficult. But at the end of the day, we’re happy that we got to do it because it needed to be done.”

'Liar' starts streaming on Astro GO or Astro On Demand from March 25, and on Astro Ria from April 3.

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Topics

Astro Shaw Min Lim Lim Siu Min Sexual Assault Social Issues Arts Astro GO

Tatler Asia

‘Liar’: How Astro Shaw’s latest series broaches the realities of sexual assault in Malaysia