KUALA LUMPUR: Pendekar Awang: Darah Indera Gajah actor Wan Hanafi Su has called on the Education Ministry to promote locally-written and factual accounts of the country's national heroes.
The 74-year-old star of films such as Bunohan, Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa, La Luna and Mat Kilau said that many "facts" found in history books were written from the points of view of Orientalists and needed to be corrected.
"History written by Orientalists needs to be revamped. We must write history from a Malaysian point of view and celebrate our freedom fighters and true heroes in school books," he said in an interview with Harian Metro Online yesterday.
"If we get to know our heroes, students will appreciate their struggles and prepare themselves to be future leaders."
Wan Hanafi plays Pahang freedom fighter Rasu Shahrum or Tok Gajah in Pendekar Awang which is a spin-off of the 2022 blockbuster Mat Kilau directed by Syamsul Yusof.
"Not many companies come up with historical dramas about our heroes. It is great that the producers of Mat Kilau have once again introduced Malaysian viewers to another unsung Malaysian hero Pendekar Awang," he said.
Pendekar Awang and Mat Kilau were produced by Studio Kembara Sdn Bhd, with the former having been directed by Shahruddin Dali and Saiful Reza Shukor.
The film which opened on Jan 11 tells the story of Tok Gajah's son and Pahang warrior Mat Kilau's younger brother Awang, who helps his family fight British rule in Pahang.
He also helps his father find safe passage to neighbouring Terengganu which was still an independent state.
Pendekar Awang also stars Fattah Amin, Nur Fazura Sharifuddin, Nadhir Nasar, Amir Ahnaf, Namron, Faizal Tahir and Datin Heliza Helmi.
