One such person was Sybil Kathigasu, a nurse in Papan, Perak, whose heroic legacy has, for the most part, gone unnoticed for decades now.
Still, hope is not lost: yesterday, Malaysian actress, model and film producer Sangeeta Krishnasamy announced that a movie based on Sybil’s story is in the making.
Simply titled “Sybil”, the feature is backed by the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) and presently has a budget of RM5 million. Casting and filming are scheduled to begin in the latter half of the year, with release slated for as early as next year.
Sybil was an Indonesia-born nurse who ran a free clinic in Papan town with her doctor husband, dispensing medicine to the locals. She also provided medical aid to local resistance fighters and kept illegal radios with which she could pass information to them.
A well-educated woman, she was fluent in Cantonese, which allowed her to communicate with anti-Japanese guerillas effortlessly. But for her trouble, she was captured and interrogated by the Kempeitai, the Japanese secret police, who subjected her to brutal torture.
Still, she refused to break and managed to survive until the end of the war; the health effects sustained during her ordeal would lead to her eventual death in 1948.
Sybil remains the only Malayan woman to have received the George Medal for Gallantry, a high civilian honour awarded by Britain’s King George VI.
During a press conference yesterday, Sangeeta said she had learnt the story of Sybil through her father. “I remember him mentioning historical figures in the country, among whom was her.”
Touched by Sybil’s tale, Sangeeta even signed the petition calling for the nurse’s inclusion in the curriculum of Malaysian history. “Her story is one that tells of the triumph of women during war. A lot of it was not in the books we read growing up.”
Sangeeta, 38, said she had once hoped someone would make a film on Sybil, but nobody had. Upon entering the industry herself, she decided to take things into her hands.
“The whole idea of me being in the industry is that I want to make movies that Malaysians can be proud of and learn something from. I want to make movies that matter to our society,” said the producer of “Gememcheh Boys” (2023), which tells of a primary-school cricket team in Negeri Sembilan.
She revealed that planning for “Sybil” has been ongoing for a while now; the pandemic delayed matters, however, and it was only this year that financing was finally secured and the groundwork laid down.
“We are trying to be as historically accurate as possible, so we are still doing a lot of research. But writing has already started,” she said.
Asked if filming would take place in Papan, Sangeeta replied that while she hopes to do so, she also wants to honour the wishes of those who live there.
“When you go to Papan, it takes you back in time. But we also want to be respectful of the place,” she said.
She added that many pre-war buildings there are poorly maintained, posing safety issues to the cast and crew. This includes Sybil’s clinic itself, which has been kept standing largely owing to the efforts of local history enthusiasts and heritage groups. As such, filming will likely take place in other places in Malaysia.
Finally, Sangeeta shared that she has been in contact with Sybil’s descendants, who have thus far given their blessing for the project.