Retrospective 1: Power & Accountability

Kopi O Khau Sikit Kurang Manis (2006)

Our police howlah? A hip-hopping documentary on ear-squats plus allegations of corruption, abuse and poor crime prevention. How can we restore police integrity and service to truly royal standards?

• Film Duration: 30 minutes
• Country: Malaysia
• Film Language: English
• Film Subtitle: N/A

Director 

Andrew Sia

Andrew is best known for his Teh Tarik columns. Over the past 25 years, he has had a good career writing feature articles for the Star newspaper on a broad range of topics - from the environment, travel & outdoor adventure, social-political issues, the arts and food.

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Rights of the Dead (2012)

The film takes a critical look into the mysterious death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock whose body was found outside the premises of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), where he was being held overnight for interrogation. The film highlights the need to ensure justice for those who died in custody and in detention, and look into the inquest and royal commission of inquiry into his death, and the Malaysian system of government and politics.

• Film Duration: 30 minutes
• Country: Malaysia
• Film Language: Malay
• Film Subtitle: English

Director 

Tricia Yeoh

Dr. Tricia Yeoh is currently the CEO of IDEAS (Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs). She is also Senior Visiting Fellow at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute and Adjunct Senior Research Fellow at Monash University Malaysia, qualified with a PhD in Political Science from the School of Politics, History and International Relations at the University of Nottingham Malaysia.

She was Research Officer to Selangor Chief Minister from 2009-2011, during which time the late Teoh Beng Hock was found dead at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission premises. Tricia represented the Selangor State Government in the inquest into his mysterious death, bringing in expert forensic pathologist Dr Porntip Rojanasunan from Thailand for a second opinion.

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POCA Boy (2018)

This is the true story of Ang, a boy who has been under house arrest for
more than a year and who walks around with an electronic monitoring device fitted to his leg. Imagine what it is like to be 16 years old and not be allowed to go further than 10km from your home for an indefinite period of time?

• Film Duration: 12 minutes
• Country: Malaysia
• Film Language: Malay
• Film Subtitle: English, Malay

Director 

Sevan Doraisamy

Sevan Doraisamy is part of the Citizen Action Group On Enforced Disappearance (CAGED), a coalition of 48 civil society groups which was formed at the beginning of May 2017 to monitor cases of enforced disappearances and assist families of missing victims. He is the executive director of Suara Rakat Malaysia (SUARAM), a human rights non-governmental organisation working on enforced disappearances, the right to trial and freedom of expression. He is also one of CAGED’s spokespersons.

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Chilli Powder and Thinner (2021)

An animation based on the real-life experience of a 16-year-old teenager who witnessed and experienced torture while in police custody. This film is part of SUARAM’s campaign to highlight the need for an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), first proposed in 2005 by recommendation of a Royal Commission of Inquiry.

• Film Duration: 4 minutes
• Country: Malaysia
• Film Language: Malay
• Film Subtitle: English, Malay

Director

Mohammad Abdullah Alshatry

Mohammad Alshatri has devoted nearly a decade to human rights work, notably at Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM), focusing on justice access and addressing custodial abuse. As a filmmaker, his animated short ""Chilli Powder and Thinner"" (2020) catalyzed public discourse, advancing police accountability through the Independent Police Misconduct Commission (IPCC). His documentary ""Peluang Kedua"" (2022) shed light on Singapore's death penalty and its impact on inmates' families.

Engaging with collectives like Buku Jalanan, Teori Timur, and Kelab Bangsar Utama, Mohammad blends activism with media, evident in his company Asparagus Media. His recent project, ‘Perhimpunan Haram?,’ delves into Malaysia's assembly laws.

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