Malaysian PM Attends 'The Lady' Premiere

KUALA LUMPUR, April 25 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister of Najib Tun Razak (third from left) Tuesday night attended the premiere of the film, "The Lady" starring Malaysian-born actress Michelle Yeoh (centre) at the Golden Screen Cinema (GSC) at The Pavilion, here. Held in conjunction with the 'Voice of Children's Charity', it was also attended by Information, Communications and Culture Minister Dr Rais Yatim (third from right) and wife Masnah Rais (second from left) and Tourism Minister Dr Ng Yen Yen (second from right). Yeoh who plays the lead role as Myanmar fighter for democracy Aung San Suu Kyi was also present and at the film premiere where she handed over a mock cheque for RM100,000 to 'Voice of Children' chairman Sharmila Sekaran. "The Lady" was directed by famous French director Luc Benson, known for his work in other movies like Nikita, The Fifth Element and The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc. "The Lady" tells the epic love story between Suu Kyi and her husband David Thewlis (Michael Aris) who have two sons Alexander (Jonathan Woodhouse) and Kim (Jonathan Ragget), who all sacrificed their happiness for the sake of the democracy movement championed by Suu Kyi in Myanmar. Suu Kyi is the third child and only daughter of Aung San, regarded as the father of modern Burma (before it was known as Myanmar). She was held under house arrest for 15 years from July 20, 1989 until her release on Nov 13, 2010. Yeoh who spoke after the premiere said playing the role of Suu Kyi was an exciting and interesting experience that will remain etched in memory. "Now you can see why the movie is so special, quite emotional and it was a challenge for me to act just like her. "And it was not an easy language to master and the only easy word for me was democracy," she said. The film will be screened in the theaters nationwide starting May 3. Also present were Deputy Higher Education Minister, Saifuddin Abdullah (left) and French Ambassador to Malaysia, Martine Dorance (right). (photoBERNAMA) MALAYSIA