‘Bukit Kepong’ draws 2,000 in Keningau
KENINGAU: More than 2,000 people watched the film ‘Bukit Kepong’ at the town field here on Wednesday night.
The show was an effort of the Keningau police headquarters in collaboration with KRU Productions.
The show was about an attack on the Bukit Kepong police station in Johor by communist insurgents that happened in Malaya after World War II.
In the incident, the Bukit Kepong police station was attacked by a group of 180 communist insurgents that began around 5am on February 23, 1950.
In the incident, around 25 policemen fought all out while two marine police wives also took up arms when they found that their husbands were dead.
They continued to fight alongside the other members until they ran out of bullets.
In that event, a total of 17 police personnel and nearly 40 communists were killed.
Bukit Kepong is a patriotic and action-packed film directed by Tan Sri Jins Shamsudin who played the main character as Sergeant Jamil Md Shah.
The film won eight awards in the 3rd Malaysia Film Festival and was the best film released to the public in 1981.
The film was re-edited to Digital HD by United Studios (distributors and marketing company under KRU International).
District police chief Deputy Superintendent Douglas Nyeging Taong said the première show was held in conjunction with the state-level Police Cadet Corps camping event that began from Wednesday until Saturday.
He said a total of 1,500 members of the Police Cadet Corps throughout the state participated in the camp, and also watched the Bukit Kepong première show.
“The purpose of this show was to provide awareness to the community and the young people to continue to give priority to matters of security and to have high self-esteem to defend the country,” he said.
Douglas said the show was expected to spur patriotism and instil a strong feeling among the youth and the public to always love the nation, religion and country.
At the same time he also thanked the crowd who witnessed the première show.
“I see most who came to watch this film are of various ages, including school students, government officials, community leaders, businessmen, PERKEP members and villagers from the upper interior, especially from Keningau,” he said.
The show began with a poetry recital by Douglas and Special Branch head ASP Awang Damit Suanda, and followed by a choir who sang a patriotic song, ‘Barisan Kita’ led by senior police officers.
Also present at the show were District Chief OKK Mohd Amir Datuk Arif, district information officer Hendry Nurdin, Liawan community development leader Sahanip Jamil, Nabawan community development leader Jubilin Kilan, Pensiangan parliamentary liaison chief officer Rayner Francis Udong, a representative of the District Officer Yamin Karinong and Kapitan Liew Ket Lim.