As we celebrate the 67th National Day and Malaysia Day, let us not forget who we are as Malaysians.
With this in mind, Astro’s campaign Inilah Kita, which translates to “this is us”, is a reminder of our roots, diverse culture and journey together.
Last week, Astro launched the Inilah Kita campaign with the aim of celebrating unity in diversity by making a positive impact within communities. The campaign starts today and ends on Sept 16, on Malaysia Day.
Astro group CEO Euan Smith said as National Day and Malaysia Day near, Malaysians are reminded behind all the diverse cultures, this is one nation with inherent traits that define people.
“We named this campaign Inilah Kita to reflect the essence of Malaysians – diverse, united and resillient. Our focus this year is to celebrate the best of Kita, the spirit of togetherness in the multi-ethnic, multi-lingual and multi-cultural landscape of Malaysia,” said Smith, adding that Astro is bringing diverse and enriching content to every home, fostering a sense of community and embracing the spirit of Kita.
Variety of shows
“During this campaign, we invite everyone to watch our special Kita channel and enjoy our campaign theme song Inilah Kita. Join us at Syok Fest Kita and take advantage of the free previews of six channels and participate in the Inilah Hero Kita social movement,” added Smith.
The Kita channel (Ch100) will feature over 100 curated titles on Astro, NJoi and Sooka. Viewers can look forward to dramas such as Rombongan Makciks Ke Dataran Merdeka, The Music Journey, Pasanga Season 2, Lion Girl and animation Oga & Friends.
There are also special episodes of Family Feud Malaysia and shows such as Hantu Karipap, Terompak Sana Tertukar Sini, Call Me Handsome – Malaysia Kita, Sofa Kentang Selebriti and more.
The six free preview channels are Showcase (Ch413), Hits Movies (Ch401), tvN Movies (Ch416), Hits Now (Ch702), Zee Cinema (Ch251) and ABO Movies Thangathirai (Ch241).
Celebrating local talents
During the launch, Rombongan Makciks ke Dataran Merdeka star Rozita Che Wan, The Music Journey singer Uriah See and Pasanga 2 lead actor Denes Kumar shared insights about their programmes.
Speaking about Rombongan Makciks ke Dataran Merdeka, Rozita said the message in the drama is “bersatu teguh, bercerai roboh” (united we are strong, divided we fall).
The drama features three makcik (aunties) (Rozita, Mandy Chong and Satthiya Kandi) from Kg Wahab Satu and their journey to watch their family members participate in the fire brigade procession on National Day. However, things take a chaotic turn, testing their resilience, camaraderie and showcasing true Malaysian unity and perseverance
Looking fashionable in a red ensemble, Rozita, fondly called Che Ta, expressed hopes that Astro will produce more dramas featuring diverse races in Malaysia in one drama. The actress said she enjoyed working with people of different races.
Meanwhile, Denes, the lead actor and producer of the Tamil drama series Pasanga 2, said: “We always believe that when we work under pressure, we cannot give our best. Art is something you must do with love, so we did.”
Pasanga 2 was released earlier this week.
Denes surprised everyone when he said it was easy to juggle between being a producer and an actor. Denes further explained it was because pre-production was done earlier and that his wife Dr Vimala Perumal, who is also a producer, manages when he is acting.
See, a singer in the Chinese music reality show The Music Journey, said music in Malaysia is amazing.
“The whole idea of this programme is to create awareness among the audience that we have all this music, which was produced by some Malaysian producers or writers and are worldwide famous. This program is about a journey,” added See.
Immerse in music
Aside from drama and
movies, viewers can experience homegrown live music at Syok Fest Kita with performances by 25 local artistes such as Floor 88, Hattan, Misha Omar, Luqman Podolski and Zayn Nakal at Setia City Park Oval Lawn from Sept 6–8.
Meanwhile, listen to Astro Radio’s Kita FM, in which 13 radio stations in Malay, English, Chinese and Tamil will gather to create the most original outdoor Malaysian radio experience with an exciting “live” outside broadcast as they interact with the public on Sept 6.
Astro has also come up with a social movement called Inilah Hero Kita.
The public can share stories of exemplary individuals they have met or seen via text, picture or video format, which will be shown on Astro Awani’s Berita Terkini Kita (Ch501) at 5pm and Kita (Ch100) at 8.30pm, from today to Sept 16.
The best part of this new campaign, however, is the theme song, an energetic and upbeat song titled Inilah Kita, performed by five singers from diverse races, led by singer Hael Husaini.
“I am honoured to have been selected as one of the singers, singing the theme song. Patriotic songs liven up the spirit of National Day celebrations,” said Hael.
He recalled that as a young boy, he watched a Merdeka concert at the National Bukit Jalil Stadium.
“At that time, I dreamed that one day, I would be on stage to celebrate Merdeka. Finally, I am given an opportunity to achieve that dream,” shared Hael
