Proton hosted a special screening of Astro Shaw’s TERBANG last week as part of its Malaysia Day celebrations, bringing together Proton customers, government stakeholders and company management for the premiere.
The film follows Ajeet, a rally driver who withdraws from motorsport after a serious accident. The story centres on his efforts to overcome the effects of the incident and return to competitive rallying
TERBANG draws inspiration from the career of Malaysian rally driver Karamjit Singh, who won the 2002 FIA Production World Rally Championship, four FIA Asia-Pacific Rally Championship titles and 11 Malaysian National Rally Championship titles. Karamjit was also part of Proton’s factory-backed rally programme during his career.
Proton supported the production of TERBANG by providing a historic Proton PERT rally car for use in the film. The company also made its test track and garage facilities available for the production of several scenes.
The film therefore includes elements based on Proton’s past involvement in motorsport, particularly the period when the company competed in domestic, regional and international rally events.
Proton’s motorsport programme included the Proton Wira 4WD and the PERT team, which competed in international rallying during Karamjit’s championship-winning period.
Although Proton does not currently compete in motorsport, the company continues to reference its previous rallying activities as part of its history. TERBANG uses this background as part of the story and character development.
The Proton e.MAS brand was also involved in activities surrounding the film’s release. Proton e.MAS served as the official mobility partner for the TERBANG X STING EV Road Trip, which included road trips and meetups involving the film’s cast, Proton e.MAS owners and members of the electric vehicle community.
The company’s involvement in the film included both the use of its historic rally car and facilities during production, while its previous motorsport achievements provided part of the real-world background for the story.
TERBANG is centred on a fictional rally driver, but its storyline incorporates elements inspired by Karamjit Singh’s career and Proton’s involvement in Malaysian and international rallying. The film therefore connects a fictional motorsport story with events and achievements from Proton’s past.
