KUALA LUMPUR: Veteran actress Kenchana Dewi's 65th National Day wish is for television and film producers to boost the number of non-Bumiputra actors and actresses in their dramas, comedies and films.
She said that doing so would truly reflect Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob's Keluarga Malaysia campaign.
"During my early days in showbiz, there were a lot more Malaysians of Indian, Chinese and Eurasian descent in TV programmes. They seem to have dwindled today, and I really hope that filmmakers do their best to include more characters from minority races in their new projects," said Kenchana in an interview with Harian Metro Online yesterday.
Kenchana, who is best known for starring in the multi-racial comedy series Puteri with Nora Danish, said that in the past two decades, almost every Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) drama had actors and actresses from three major races namely Malay, Chinese and Indian.
"A healthy racial balance is good for the entertainment scene. It promotes the Bangsa Malaysia spirit," said Kenchana, who praised filmmakers and television producers for getting more Sarawak and Sabah natives in their productions.
Kenchana, who grew up in a Malay majority neighbourhood, said that the country's cultural diversity should be observed in all television productions and films, and not just patriotic films and programmes screened during the Merdeka Month.
"Entertainment is the best way to foster national unity, and filmmakers and television producers have the responsibility to enhance it, by making their productions more Bangsa Malaysia, as they were in the early decades of Merdeka."