Of Mat Jenin and the Rooster that lay eggs
Even though the main narrative of Upin and Ipin: The Lone Gibbon Kris is a symbol of hope and redemption towards the restoration of order in Inderaloka, the whole thing takes a full u-turn if one takes a deeper look into certain subtle hints.
One of the characters is Mat Jenin. In Malay lore, he is the prime example of someone who is just being ambitious without doing anything to fulfill them. But in this full length animation, he does achieve his goal of beating Raja Bersiong.
But the big giveaway that happens both in the beginning and at the end of Keris Siamang Tunggal that throws down Mat Jenin’s victory is - the presence of the rooster that lays an egg. In Malay proverb, it means something that is utterly impossible. It happens both at the beginning and the end of the film.
If this is not a big shot of cynicism towards the dream of being victorious over the odds, I don’t know what is. It comes as a big slap of irony on Mat Jenin’s face to wake up and smell the coffee.
Out of the allegorical cave
Drawing parallels to the current reality of Malaysian politics, it is overflowing with “Mat Jenins”. Acquiring the Lone Gibbon Kris will forever be just a daydream in their heads. Another related Malay allegory is of the stump, which symbolizes a static and useless person. A bunch of stumps will never get it literally, let alone the irony.
Hope lies upon the young future “Upins and Ipins” to be sucked into the “Batu Belah Batu Bertangkup” (a cave) to set things right. Until then, the “Keris Siamang Tunggal” lay awaits.
To be continued...
Currently playing on Netflix
https://www.netflix.com/watch/81403959