Kampung Boy Artist, Lat, Born in Perak
Datuk Mohammad Nor Khalid, better known as Lat, was born on March 5, 1951. When the name Lat is mentioned, we are sure everyone knows it is the name of the main character in Kampung Boy.
Datuk Mohammad Nor Khalid is a Malaysian cartoonist who has published more than 20 volumes of cartoons since the age of 13. Most of his works depict Malaysia's social and political landscape in a humorous and unbiased manner. Datuk Mohammad Nor Khalid's most famous work, Kampung Boy, has been popular since 1979, not only in Malaysia but also internationally and across the globe.
In 1994, the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah, bestowed the title of Datuk upon Lat in recognition of the cartoonist's contributions to fostering social harmony and understanding through his cartoons. Lat was a child with a round face. Because of this, his family gave him the nickname 'bulat' (round), and his friends shortened the name to Lat. Lat was the eldest child in his family and loved playing in the forests, orchards, and tin mines with his friends. At the age of 9, Lat helped supplement his family's income by using his drawing skills to sell comics to his friends.
The name Lat became the main character in the Kampung Boy series. There is another interesting fact about Datuk Lat's family. Did you know that he is the older brother of a very famous Malaysian film director named Mamat Khalid? Well, aren't you even prouder to be a resident of Perak? Truly amazing people born in Perak. You can really feel the aura of these two when you realize that children of Perak are indeed exceptional.
