The conclusion of Mat Kilau, Will the Villagers Join the Fight for Their Freedom?
This Malay nationalist movie, Mat Kilau, has finally made its way to Netflix, and it is an action-packed movie about the natives fighting for their independence from British colonization. The film was directed by Syamsul Yusof, and it features a cast that includes, amongst others, Adi Putra, Beto Kusyairy, Fattah Amin, and Yayan Ruhian.
The Malaysian historical figure Mat Kilau, who fought against British colonists in Pahang prior to Malaysia’s independence, serves as the inspiration for the storyline of the film.
Explanation of the Mat Kilau Conclusion
As the concluding scene of the movie Mat Kilau approaches, the protagonist of the film encourages the locals to band together and put up a resistance against the colonialists so that they can achieve their goal of achieving freedom. However, the people have decided that they are not willing to put their lives at danger, and they have left the meeting in order to continue living their lives.
Mat Kilau is not yet ready to give up on his trust in these individuals, and he is continuing to make preparations for the approaching conflict. On the other hand, he quickly learns that one of the commanders is a traitor, and that this traitor is the one responsible for the death of Wahid’s wife. As soon as the squad makes the connection, they discover the individual who made the decision to betray them.
Initiall Life Of Mat Kilau
According to the accounts of his contemporaries, Mat Kilau was a guy of average height and build, with fair skin, an attractive face, and a fair complexion. [Citation needed] He was rumored to be a master of the martial art of Silat and was thought to possess mystical abilities. He wed Yang Chik binti Imam Daud, who was from Kampung Kedondong, when he was only 20 years old. Yang Chik binti Imam Daud was the daughter of a religious instructor. Four of his offspring came to be born as a result of this union.
Hugh Clifford, who was serving as the British agent in Pahang at the time, traveled to Pulau Tawar in 1888. While there, he met Mat Kilau and Awang Long, two of Tok Gajah’s sons, and formed cordial relationships with them. This occurred during the early years of British engagement in Pahang.
It was said that Clifford referred to Mat Kilau affectionately as Adik Mat, which literally translates to “little brother Mat.” When compared to his father, Mat Kilau is said to be a diplomatic young man who is easier to work with, according to Clifford’s description of Mat.
The Insurrection
The early stages of the Pahang rebellion, which started in 1891, were mostly confined to the region around Semantan and Temerloh. During the conflict, which was also known as the Semantan War, it was commanded by Dato’ Bahaman, who was the chief of Semantan at the time. As the unrest extended to other districts in the state of Pahang, an increasing number of local leaders joined the fight. Between the months of April and June in the year 1892, a figure known as Mat Kilau emerged as a more controversial figure.
His ascension occurred at the same time that rumors began to circulate about Tok Gajah hatching a plot to overpower British strategic points. Panglima Muda of Jempul was one of the other people involved, and he was the one who was supposed to conquer Pekan. Meanwhile, Mat Kilau of Budu and the Jelai Chief were supposed to wipe out Clifford’s relatively small force at Kuala Lipis.
The mass rebellion that was led by Mat Kilau reached its most dangerous point when he and one hundred of his men, armed with swords, spears, and muskets, attacked Kuala Lipis on 10 April 1892 and later threatened the gold mines at Raub.
On the 21st of May, 1892, a group of British soldiers led by Lieutenant Colonel Robert Sandilands Frowd Walker and consisting of one hundred and five Sikhs, including thirteen gunners, attacked and burned Mat Kilau’s stronghold at Budu. Hugh Clifford served as the political advisor for the expedition, and they were accompanied by three European inspectors, two jemadars, and three European inspectors.
Mat Kilau and his group of sixty warriors, along with their wives and children, managed to flee and eventually joined up with the Bahaman at Ulu Cheka. His actions began to pick up steam during the month of June in 1892, when fighting had already spread to Bera, which was located further to the south.
As soon as Mat Kilau began to engage in aggressive behavior, the British started to have suspicions about Tok Gajah’s participation in orchestrating the rebellion. It was suggested by the Resident, John Pickersgill Rodger, that he be arrested; however, Sultan Ahmad stopped this from happening. The ruler made a vow to take him to Pekan and then transport him to Mecca afterward. However, Sultan Ahmad’s intention was to enable Tok Gajah to flee into the Kelantan-Terengganu borders via Tembeling, where he was subsequently joined by Mat Kilau. The suggestion seemed to satisfy the British, but Sultan Ahmad’s objective was to do so. On October 16, 1892, a general amnesty was declared, which was to be extended to all dissidents, with the exception of Tok Gajah and Dato’ Bahaman.
This was done in an effort to further isolate the rebels from society. According to a report written by Rodger, it is estimated that the total strength of the rebels who fled to the neighboring state of Kelantan-Terengganu has been cut down to sixty men under the command of Dato’ Bahaman and thirty-five men under the command of Mat Kilau and Tok Gajah. All of these individuals are fully armed with guns.
On June 14, 1894, insurgents assaulted and took control of a British stockade located at Kuala Tembeling with the help of reinforcements from the surrounding area. The British launched a counterattack against the insurgents on June 29, 1894, which resulted in the rebels becoming victorious at their stockade in Jeram Ampai. As a result of the win, the British were able to bolster their forces in preparation for future assaults on the rebels. It would appear that the British could have easily eradicated the rebels after the fall of Jeram Ampai; however, a series of attacks continued despite the large following that the rebels had won among the local population. This was due to the fact that the British failed to take into account this following. Clifford embarked on an expedition to Kelantan and Terengganu on July 17, 1894, with the intention of putting down the revolt from their bases. However, he initially had very little success due to the fact that the local population and chiefs sympathized with the rebels and their cause.
As Kelantan and Terengganu were at the time feudatory states of Siam, the British received a commitment from the Siamese foreign minister, Prince Devawongse, to prevent both states from harboring the dissidents. This was in response to the fact that Kelantan and Terengganu were at the time under Siamese control. The indigenous were obliged to surrender and betray the dissidents since the rebellion went on for an extended period of time and was accompanied by a number of difficult circumstances. In the end, the Siamese commissioner Phya Dhib Kosa was successful in apprehending several important ring leaders between the months of October and November 1895. These key leaders included Bahaman, Awang Nong Yusoh, Teh Ibrahim, Haji Mat Wahid, and Mat Lela. They were all deported to Chiang Mai.
Instead of punishing the man, he decides to offer him a chance before he leaves. In another part of the ship, Captain Syers is frantic to locate Kilau and his companions so that he can at last demonstrate his value. Soon after, he receives the intelligence from the spy that he had planted among the leaders and is immediately prepared to launch an assault on Kilau.
The following day, British forces enter the forest where Kilau and his companions have set traps, and one by one, each of the men is killed by the ingenious traps that Kilau and his pals have constructed. Before beginning their assault on the colonists, the squad even sends a soldier who is severely injured back to Syers for medical attention.
However, Syers is prepared for them as he lets loose the canons on the group, and just as it seems that things were going to become worse for Kilau, the villagers emerged from hiding and came running to battle.
And before long, among the rumbling of canons and the crackling of guns, the fight for freedom will have begun. The intense conflict is still going on, and when Toga and the other pirates saw that Kilau’s side was not going to be simple to beat, they decided to join the fight in order to launch a counterattack.
Mat Kilau’s Conclusion
Although they are successful in inflicting severe wounds on the villagers, Syers’ survival is not guaranteed, and he quickly flees the battlefield. Kilau is aware of this, and he chases after him while Toga follows closely behind. On the other side, Wahid is planning to exact vengeance on the person who was responsible for the death of his wife.
Kilau runs behind Syers but is quickly stopped by Toga, who then engages in a battle with him; nevertheless, the former is unable to bring the latter to the ground until Wahid steps in to help. The two decide to work together, but Toga winds up killing Wahid, and then Kilau winds up killing Toga after that.
The independence warriors are successful in defeating the British forces on the battlefield; yet, despite the significant number of lives that were lost, the spirit of freedom soared once again despite this setback.
Will There Be a Second Part of Mat Kilau?
When considering the film’s success in the domestic market, Mat Kilau has unquestionably left the door open for the possibility of a sequel. It is common knowledge that this has resulted in the producers already working on a sequel, which was a foregone conclusion considering that this movie became the Malaysian film with the highest grossing.
Let’s hold off on making any decisions regarding Mat Kilau 2 until we get more information.