On May 9th 2018, Malaysia changed its government for the very first time, after a tense general election that saw the country’s 92-year-old former premier return to office after retirement. Three women captured this historical moment in a full-length feature documentary film that premiered 3 months ago in San Francisco.
In 2016, Wall Street Journal ran a full exposé on Malaysia’s state-owned fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), scrutinising the company’s suspicious money transactions. A lawsuit filed by the United States Department of Justice alleged that at least US$3.5 billion had been stolen from 1MDB. The court trial for these accusations is still ongoing at press time.
Even as people took to the streets to voice their unhappiness from these events in rallies and protests, former government Barisan Nasional was certain of its victory in the 14th General Elections in 2018. The Electoral Commission, which organises and mobilises the election process, is parked under the Prime Minister’s office, thus putting the legitimacy of the electoral system into question.
Amid this doom and gloom, one man rose to the occasion. Enter Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who served as the nation’s Prime Minister from 1981 to 2003. His decision to return to politics and make peace with former political ‘enemies’ such as Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Lim Kit Siang inspired Malaysians to take action.
Boasting a stunning 83.32% voter turnout, Malaysians expressed themselves on the ballot box by voting Pakatan Harapan into government on May 9, 2018.
As history was being made, a team of dedicated men and women documented this moment on film. It was a secret project that soon evolved into M for Malaysia, a compelling full-length feature film with the themes of reconciliation, hope and unity. After premiering in San Francisco on May 2019, M for Malaysia is now making its way around the film festival circuits and is slated to premiere on Malaysian cinemas on the 3rd quarter of 2019.
Before you watch the film, here are 5 important things you need to know about the soon-to-be-released documentary.