Malaysia’s most streamed love series starring popular actors and actresses.
(Source: DIY Printing Supply)

SHAH ALAM – Two decades have gone by but our local dramas barely show any improvements on quality. Up until today, Malaysian television channels have continuously aired the same typical love storyline dramas.

It is always about forced and arranged marriages between low-class and high-class characters, a contract relationship, university love stories and other cringey ‘romantic’ series.

According to WhatsApp questionnaires done by Berita DIMENSi, four out of six audiences have stopped watching Malay dramas due to the unrealistic portrayal, especially of women.

“Malay dramas love displaying a girl falling for her boss even though he was a jerk to her. I mean if it was me, I will be sure to report him to the Human Resources department,” said Nur Alya Farzana in the questionnaire.

Another response is from Ummul Najwa Anuar, 23, she stated that she avoids watching local dramas as they were too predictable, and some parts do not even make any single sense.

So why do Malaysian producers keep on making these kind dramas when no one seems to like them?

Nur Hidayati Taib, a script writer and broadcasting student of UiTM.
(Source: Berita DIMENSi / Ummu Hamzah)

Nur Hidayati Taib, a script writer for Jubiliance Sdn Bhd, explains why typical Malay dramas are often broadcast at peak hours. This is because during those peak hours, people just came back from work and they cannot consume something that is too ‘heavy’ to watch.

“That is why you normally see a family-oriented drama airing on the 7PM Akasia slot and it is always the elderlies who watch it since it is easier for them to understand as well,” said Hidayati during an interview with Berita DIMENSi via Microsoft Teams.

However, she did point out that there are some directors who create cliché dramas just for the ratings.

“I have seen and worked with writers with brilliant ideas but in the end they have to write a corny screenplay instead, all because of the high demand from the viewers,” she added.

Also, Malaysian mainstream channels rarely play any new independent dramas because of the laws on censorship and the genre of the series itself.

‘Gantung The Series’ is a novel-based drama adapted from one of Nadia Khan’s best selling books.
(Source: Twitter / @Gempak_ID)

Take Gantung The Series as an example, they were very popular in Indonesia and Malaysia, yet our local channels would not telecast them because it is not considered as the ‘usual’ genre.

The young writer also expresses her disagreement on how mainstream televisions are fine with Malay love dramas promoting rape culture or abuse, providing that they included good moral values at the end of the plot.

But then again, what values can the audiences gain from the malay television drama if it only ends with the two main characters finding their way back to each other, whereas the consequences of the perpetrator are not highlighted.

‘Projek: Anchor SPM’ the newest television series which are popular among Malaysian viewers.
(Source: Rojak Daily)

Hidayati admits that there are good Malaysian dramas on screen such as Nur, Kampung People and specially the most recent one Projek: Anchor SPM which gives a new breath to our drama industry.

“We do not really get to see a lot of Malaysian series with beautiful cinematography including a realistic plot,” added Hidayati.

Hidayati urges Malaysian directors to try other styles of dramas given that they must study their storyline thoroughly.

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