Yasmin Ahmad's sister appeals for help to keep memories of her alive
A family member of the late acclaimed film director and writer Yasmin Ahmad has appealed for help from Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Mohamaddin Ketapi to run a museum that has been set up in her memory.
When contacted, Yasmin's younger sister Orked said she was touched by Mohamaddin's move to honour the award-winning director's birthday today, almost 10 years since her passing...
A family member of the late acclaimed film director and writer Yasmin Ahmad has appealed for help from Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Mohamaddin Ketapi to run a museum that has been set up in her memory.
When contacted, Yasmin's younger sister Orked said she was touched by Mohamaddin's move to honour the award-winning director's birthday today, almost 10 years since her passing.
"I am so happy that he tweeted that.
"It has been almost 10 years since she passed away and I am proud to say that people still remember her and want to watch her works," said Orked whose real life persona had inspired the character "Orked" in several of Yasmin's movies.
In a series of tweets earlier today, Mohamaddin shared a personal tribute in honour of Yasmin, highlighting some of her most memorable television advertisements and major films.
"In honour of the late Yasmin Ahmad's legacy, a true anak seni known to encourage Malaysians to know and love one another, in conjunction with her birthday on Jan 7," Mohamaddin posted.
From the long list of advertisements credited to Yasmin, Mohamaddin also said his personal favourite was a Petronas Merdeka Day commercial titled "Boat Race" that centres on the theme of unity.
He also noted that the Yasmin Ahmad Museum in Perak has served as a local tourist attraction in the area.
More than just a series of tweets, Orked (photo) further said the family would appreciate Mohamaddin's assistance in funding the museum, located in Sekeping Kong Heng, Ipoh, which first opened its doors in November 2014.
"We want his help because it is very costly to run the museum.
"Now we are only open during the weekends because there is no funding. Curating costs money, hiring someone to run the place costs money, on top of the general upkeep costs," she explained.
Orked said the museum, now entering its fourth year, was currently funded through sales of Yasmin's books and T-shirts, as well as entrance fees.
With a more stable source of funding, Orked said, the museum could serve as a permanent space to promote Yasmin's works, and more importantly, values such as national unity and harmony among the various races.
"Those values are quite lacking now. What Yasmin had done are eye-opening and heartwarming.
"He (Mohamaddin) could use this on his platform (as tourism minister) to promote Malaysia as a tourist attraction," she added.
In 2015, family members and fans of Yasmin launched a fundraising campaign to help run the museum, which was a brainchild of her late mother, Inom Yon.
Yasmin - famed for six feature films throughout her brief career - died in 2009 at the age of 51.
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