Daily Times

The Embassy of the Malaysia in Islamabad has screened the ASEAN Movie Night event featuring Malaysian film “PASKAL” made in the spirit of patriotism and tactical military operation.

The Malaysian Block Buster Movie “PASKAL” is a heart-wrenching story of a group of special commandos’ unit of the Malaysian Navy who not only sacrifice their lives to protect their homeland Malaysia from the seas but also serve as a United Nation peacekeeping force in the African country of Angola. It is ready to be done.

This film is the story of the real military operations of the special forces of the Malaysian Navy, in which these soldiers of the country lay down their lives fighting for their country and humanity.

The High Commission of Malaysia in Islamabad held the grand finale of the ASEAN Movie Nights programme, which was initiated under the ASEAN Committee in Islamabad (ACI) aimed at promoting the rich film and cultural heritage of ASEAN member countries in Islamabad. The final series showcased Malaysia’s action-packed film “PASKAL.” Based on the true story of the Malaysian Armed Forces’ heroic efforts in rescuing the merchant ship MV Bunga Laurel from pirate attack in 2011, the film captivated the audience with its gripping narrative and action-packed performance.

The movie tells the story of Malaysian Special Forces Commander Arman Rahmat and other commandos fighting against the enemies of their country and humanity, in which the emotions and feelings of their family are also shown on screen. As the hero of the film, Commander Arman Rehmat, whose father also gave his life for the country while fighting against the enemy in the same special commando unit of the Malaysian Navy, Commander Arman’s mother addresses him in a scene of the film and says with great emotion, you are national heroes, “You don’t care about anyone’s feelings and emotions, instead of your mission.”

This Malaysian film is a true story of the special commandos’ love for the country, the feelings of their families and the true resilience of the Malaysian nation, in which the love of the country and nationalism are heavy in every aspect of the story. The Hero of movie Lieutenant Commander Arman Rahmat , a born leader, Arman has the qualities of a true soldier. His late father once served under PASKAL with Commander Maznan and a subordinate of RMN commander. Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar graced the event as chief guest. The Minister noted with great satisfaction over the excellent state of relations between Pakistan and Malaysia.

He shared the similarities between Malaysia and Pakistan in nation building and patriotism and lauded the High Commissioner of Malaysia and ACI for the Movie Nights programme, adding that both Malaysia and Pakistan should collaborate in future programmes, especially in cultural exchange and film industry.

Officiating the event, the High Commissioner of Malaysia, Ambassador Dato’ Mohammad Azhar Mazlan, underlined the key message of the film, stating, “PASKAL is not just an action movie; it is a testament to Malaysia’s patriotism, sense of belonging, the exceptional capabilities and professionalism of our military, and the sophisticated quality of our film industry.”

In his concluding remarks, the High Commissioner of Malaysia suggested that this programme should be held annually for a much wider cultural engagement and understanding between ASEAN and Pakistan.

The event drew a huge audience of over 200 guests from a cross-section of the society ranging from the Dean and Ambassadors of the Diplomatic Corps, ASEAN Heads of Mission, senior government officials, university students and friends of the media, reflecting the strong interest and support for Malaysia’s and ASEAN’s cultural and cinematic exchange. The ASEAN-Malaysia Movie Night programme was a resounding success, bringing together diverse communities and fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation to each of ASEAN countries’ unique cultures and stories through the cinematic experience. The Movie is a 2018 Malaysian Malay-language military action film directed by Adrian Teh and produced by Asia Tropical Films and it was inspired by the elite Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) force named PASKAL (Pasukan Khas Laut). Filming began in Kuala Lumpur from March to May 2018; its official premiere was on 27 September 2018 and the film received positive critical reviews and it netted an overall profit of more than RM30 million across Malaysia and Singapore, making it one of the highest-grossing local films in Malaysia top local films in Malaysian history.

PASKAL was directed by Adrian Teh and it is based on actual events of the Royal Malaysian Navy’s Special Forces Team during the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Angola in 1998, and the successful rescue of the hijacked MV Bunga Laurel trade vessel in 2011.

The movie shooting was conducted at several locations within and outside of Malaysia, including Lumut, Semporna, and Istanbul, Turkey.