Mamat Khalid's Early Life Before Entering the Film Industry
Mamat Khalid, a figure who made all of Perak proud, was born on April 6, 1963, in Ipoh, Perak—five months before the Federation of Malaya became Malaysia on the historic date of September 16, 1963.
During his childhood, Mamat Khalid often went to the cinema every day to keep up with the latest films. This was a deep-seated passion he had held for a long time, but unfortunately, his hobby and interest were not favored by his father. It is said that Mamat Khalid's father had forbidden him from watching movies, even up until his father's passing in 1974. However, that did not hinder Mamat Khalid's passion and desire to pursue the film industry, which he loved so dearly.
For your information, loyal readers of orangperak.com, Mamat Khalid once worked in a government department before venturing into the film industry. Later, he shifted into television program production. His first involvement in the Malaysian film industry was the film Puteri Gunung Ledang, starring M. Nasir and Tiara Jacquelina. Originally, Mamat Khalid only proposed a 20-episode television drama series based on the legend of Puteri Gunung Ledang for the NTV7 television station. However, Enfiniti Productions accepted Mamat Khalid's proposal but converted it into a feature film for cinema release, directed by Saw Teong Hin.
The film Puteri Gunung Ledang, released in 2004, cost over RM 16 million, making it the most expensive Malaysian film in history at that time. In 2003, Mamat Khalid became a film director for the first time with the comedy film Lang Buana, starring the group Senario. Among Mamat Khalid's famous works are Pinang Durian, Rombongan Cik Kiah ke Sukan Komanwel, and Abang We. He won the Best Director award at the 2001 Anugerah Skrin Panca Delima for the telemovie Pinang Durian. He also served as a script translator for the animated series
Kampung Boy, created by his brother, Lat
.
Let us all support Mamat Khalid's work by at least not supporting piracy or illegal internet downloads; instead, we should show our support by purchasing original releases. Word has it that Mamat Khalid owned a restaurant called Sarang Art Hub in Tanjung Malim. Has anyone been there? On October 24, 2021, Mamat Khalid breathed his last at Slim River Hospital at approximately 12:30 AM. It is understood that Mamat Khalid had collapsed at his restaurant, Sarang Art Hub, before being rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His remains were laid to rest at the Masjid Paloh Muslim Cemetery.
