Petronas advert 'a tribute to Malaysians abroad'

Over the years, Petronas commercials have never failed to captivate Malaysian hearts, in particular those directed by Yasmin Ahmad who painted timeless snippets of life in her creative masterpieces.

This year, though, Petronas has taken a different approach to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Merdeka Day and Malaysia Day. 

Its debut web film, ‘Strangers’, highlights the challenges faced by Malaysians living abroad, amidst their nostalgia for home.
 
"This festive season, we wanted to pay tribute to all who are out there serving our beloved nation," said group corporate affairs division senior general manager Mohammad Medan Abdullah (right).

Released on Petronas' Youtube channel on Aug 6, the 14-minute film directed by Quek Shio Chuan - the 2011 BMW Shorties Winner - had chalked up some 344,621 views at the time of writing.

The film tells of the journey of self-discovery by Erman (played by actor Redza Minhat), a young Petronas engineer based in Central Asia, and his encounter with a local boy named Jeyhun. There is also an "unscripted" series of interviews with real Petronas employees overseas. 

Alongside this, Petronas announced a variety of programmes for the celebrations, including the ‘I Art You Malaysia’ exhibition, which opens today at the Petronas Gallery in Suria KLCC and will run up to Sept 30.

This displays a range of artwork by about 240 school children across Malaysia, expressing their personal impressions of what they love about the nation.

Goodies are also in store for the public, as Petronas will give out non-woven bags at its petrol or Mesra stations nationwide from tomorrow to Sept 16 for purchases of at least RM30.

Another 15,000 bags will be given out at selected toll plazas, on top of some 100,000 hand flags that Petronas has contributed to the Information, Communication and Culture Ministry, which oversees the national Merdeka Day celebration.