KUALA LUMPUR – Actor and producer Datuk Afdlin Shauki Aksan has expressed disappointment with the government’s decision to reject a grant application to finance his latest movie project Angel of Sandakan.
He said the film is part of his larger ambition to earn Malaysia a nomination, or even a win, at the Academy Awards, as announced by Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah.
In an Instagram post, Afdlin did not deny the possibility that his application was rejected due to his affiliation with PKR, which he recently joined, reported The Vibes’ Bahasa Malaysia sister portal Getaran.
“Frankly, I kind of expected this to happen, as PKR is against the current government.
“This has got nothing to do with the movie. I was told by some government officials that they had agreed in principle for the project to proceed.
“But everything changed when I openly voiced support for (PKR president) Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.”
He said the project has received positive response from industry professionals and critics both within and outside the country, including an Oscar winner.
“When it comes to business, the Petra Group, which is led by Datuk Dr Vinod Sekhar, has never mixed it with politics.
“In fact, we work with all parties, regardless of their political views,” added Afdlin, who is also Petra Media chief executive.
“When it comes to charity work, Yayasan Afdlin Shauki and the Vinod Sekhar Foundation work with all parties to help everyone, regardless of their political, racial and religious backgrounds.
“Angel of Sandakan is an effort to elevate the country’s name.
“I would have thought that this kind of thing would not happen as the current government always prides itself as being much better than previous ones.
“I guess I was wrong.” – The Vibes, April 30, 2021
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