22/09/2025

MONDAY | SEPT 22, 2025

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Scholar turns Mount Jerai into living metaphor KUALA LUMPUR: Rising above Kedah’s padi fields, Mount Jerai stands 1,207m tall on the border of Kuala Muda and Yan. But to Prof Datuk Dr Ahmad Murad Merican, the peak is more than a mountain. To him, it is a living metaphor for his tanah air (homeland), carrying echoes of civilisation, spirituality and culture – ideas he translates into colour, texture and form on canvas. Over the past three years, the professor of social and intellectual history at the International Islamic University Malaysia has completed three Mount Jerai paintings, each with its own interpretation of the mountain’s meaning. Through his work, he has nurtured a quiet spirit of patriotism in art. A self-taught painter, Ahmad Murad draws inspiration from Jerai’s solitary rise from the flatlands, its role as a historic landfall, and its enduring ties to Hindu-Buddhist and Islamic civilisations. “My paintings are not just a painting. It is the promotion of a concept, a civilisation and an idea. I view Gunung Jerai as an idea, manifesting those ideas in different forms. Not in terms of drawing exactly what Jerai is, but its hue, tone and visual presence as I see it,” he said. He recounted completing his first Mount Jerai painting in 2022 while staying at the Eastern & Oriental Hotel in Penang, which faces the mountain. “I was there one morning between 6.45am and 7.30am, taking photographs. The colours kept shifting as the light changed,” he told Bernama at Majestic Kedah, a cultural showcase presented by KL Arts Festival 2025 at the KL City Art Gallery. While his early work sought to capture the mountain’s physical likeness, his later paintings evolved into expressions of mood and symbolism. Using experimental brushstrokes, bold palettes and unconventional tools such as scalpels and scrapers, he explored new textures and depths. “When you look at Mount Jerai or other monuments such as Mount Kinabalu, the colours change. In the morning, it has one set of hues and as the sun rises from the east, when viewed from the west, the tones shift from blue to yellow to amber,”he said, adding that his third painting attempted to capture“reality beyond what a photograph shows”. Now channelling his imagination beyond academic writing into galleries and museums, Ahmad Murad believes art broadens the boundaries of knowledge. “The advancement of reality is not confined to science alone, but also through visual art,”he said. He began painting seriously in 2022 after more than two decades away from the craft. “In the 1990s, I dabbled with pastels and paper. Some of those works are still hanging in my house,” he said. His return to art came after his name appeared on the list of artists for an exhibition. “I took it as a challenge. I bought the materials and started painting seriously,”he said. Ahmad Murad first ventured into art in 1964 as a schoolboy. Immersing himself in art history, he studied movements such as impressionism and realism. “I read books about art, about artists and their techniques. Back then, it was all theory. The practical side I am still learning, still discovering the spirituality of painting and of myself.”

Local Bond-inspired spy film makes it to big screen

o Malaysian filmmaker realises decades-long ambition with Killmaster, which premieres on Sept 25

stunt coordinator for four James Bond films starring Daniel Craig, but working with him will require a much larger budget,” he said, adding that Killmaster , shot in English with international appeal, is aimed at breaking into markets such as the US. Since starting his career in 1987, Cheah has faced many ups and downs, including financial losses. Yet, he stresses that his passion remains undiminished. “I have lost money before, but it never weakened me because this is my calling. I was born to do this,” he said. Alongside Cheah, the cast includes Chilean actress and model Monica de Caro, Himanshu Bhatt, Jayaram Menon, Zack Aminuddin and Muizz Rosli. The story follows Major Alex Wong, codenamed Killmaster, a government agent tasked with dismantling a terrorist network planning devastating attacks on his homeland. His mission takes him to Spain, where he meets a young woman pursuing her own vendetta against the same ruthless thugs. Together, they are drawn

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian filmmaker Julian Cheah has fulfilled a long-cherished dream of stepping into a James Bond inspired role with his latest production Killmaster , which premieres in cinemas on Sept 25. The film casts Cheah as Asian secret agent Alex Wong, marking his first portrayal of a Bond-like character, an aspiration he has had since childhood. “I’ve done comedy, thriller, vigilante and even hired-killer roles, but never a Bond role. This is my first time and this is what I want to keep doing because I feel it’s what I do best,” he said at a recent press conference and preview. Cheah, who also directed and produced the film, said the spark for Killmaster began in 1981 when he watched For Your Eyes Only in London, an experience that set him on the path to creating his own spy adventure. “I was very young then. The cinema roared with cheers and applause from start to finish, and I told myself I wanted to make films that bring the same joy to audiences,”

he recounted. Produced at a cost of about RM4 million, Killmaster was shot over three weeks in Ibiza, Spain, with most of the budget spent on flights, accommodation and meals for the crew. “I chose Ibiza for its natural beauty and reputation as a glamorous tourist destination. My strength is glamour, not grit. I don’t want to shoot in alleys or nightclubs. I want to bring back the glamour of Bond films from the 1970s – The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker and For Your Eyes Only ,” he said. Cheah, who has also appeared in Prince of the City , Infected Paradise and Wild Justice , fully financed the film himself without government aid or production partners, Bernama reported. He emphasised that the film’s performance will determine the scale of his next project. “If audiences support this, I want my next film to feature bigger action sequences, such as car, motorcycle and speedboat chases. I already have a connection with Gary Powell,

See also page 25

into a deadly game of survival, vengeance and high-stakes espionage.

(From left) Menon, Cheah, De Caro and Bhatt during the preview of Killmaster in Kuala Lumpur. – ADIB RAWI YAHYA/THESUN

Malaysia strengthens ties with cultural showcase in Geneva KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s cultural heritage took centre stage at a National Day celebration in Geneva, Switzerland, during which traditional performances and cuisine delighted diplomats, international officials and the Malaysian diaspora. World Trade Organisation, was held at the World Intellectual Property Organisation headquarters on Friday. About 250 guests attended, including members of the diplomatic corps, representatives of international organisations and Malaysians based in Switzerland. Guests enjoyed traditional favourites such as karipap (curry puffs), satay and the country’s signature teh tarik , while cultural performances – including Tarian Selamat Datang, Joget and Zapin – showcased Malaysia’s artistic traditions. A promotional video for Visit Malaysia 2026 was also screened, highlighting the nation’s natural beauty, cultural diversity and famed The reception, co-hosted by Malaysia’s permanent missions to the United Nations in Geneva and to the

the values of unity and the Malaysia Madani framework as guiding principles for national development. She reaffirmed Malaysia’s commitment to multilateralism and underscored the nation’s role as Asean chair, with a focus on inclusivity and sustainability under the Asean Community Vision 2045. – Bernama

hospitality as an early invitation to international travellers. “The event not only marked Malaysia’s National Day but also served as a platform to further strengthen bilateral and multilateral ties,” the mission said in a statement. Malaysia’s permanent representative to the UN in Geneva Datuk Nadzirah Osman emphasised