Entertainment: Bibik is back

2009/09/29

Dennis Chua

The makers of The Big Bibik And The Little Nyonyas are using the TV icon to promote diversity among Malaysians, writes DENNIS CHUA. THE irreverent Bibik Kim Neo, famously portrayed by Kenny Chan in long-running sitcom Baba Dan Nyonya is back.

This time, the Big Bibik introduces her grandchildren, the Little Nyonyas, to Straits Chinese or Peranakan cookery and indirectly exposes them, and Malaysian viewers, to a rich cultural heritage from Malacca.

The Big Bibik And The Little Nyonyas is currently playing in cyberspace courtesy of all-Malaysian producer and publisher Qua Chee and his web portal Bookmarqc.Com.

A joint venture of Q.Ce and Annonymous Productions, the eight-episode series (currently in its sixth) is a “celebration of Malaysian culture and travel destinations to foreign and domestic tourists”.

“It’s a showcase of Malaysia’s mix of cultures through Nyonya cooking, a cross between Malay and Chinese styles and ingredients,” Qua said.

(From left) Hee, Ng and Meng with Chan. - Pix by Rosela Ismail

“It’s also my way of bringing some reflections to Malaysians about our diversity, in a fun way, with a well-loved TV icon.”

Qua said Peranakan culture and cooking was in many ways reflective of multi-racial Malaysia, and it is perhaps the earliest display of the 1Malaysia concept promoted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Qua is the cyber-series’ executive producer while Kenny Wong is its director and Nick Tan its producer. The series premiered on Sept 8.

Besides Chan, The Big Bibik And The Little Nyonyas stars budding actresses Charlene Meng of Kuala Lumpur, and Michelle Ng and Vanessa Hee of Singapore.

Chan, 58, said he taught the trio traditional recipes such as sambal bendi, telur cencaluk, sotong sambal, ikan asam and ayam pongteh which are household names to diners at his popular restaurant in Malacca, Kapitan House.

He said: “I inherited a passion for cooking Nyonya cuisine from my late grandmother, and first opened a restaurant back in 1983.

“Along the way, I worked as a clerk in a law firm, before becoming an actor and an organiser of Peranakan exhibitions in museums around the country.”

Chan spent his early education in Gajah Berang Secondary School, Malacca, and has acted in Peranakan stage shows since he was 13.

Baba Dan Nyonya is the country’s longest running sitcom as certified by the Malaysia Book of Records nine years ago. It ran for 509 episodes.

“My new show differs from Baba Dan Nyonya in that (Chee) Hood Siong isn’t in it, and every weekly episode’s recipe relates to our characters’ activities for the day,” he said, adding that each episode was three to six minutes long.

Chan said his love for cooking also led to his hosting a Nyonya cookery show in Singapore a few years ago.

“I’d liken my latest show to a cookery show with Bibik as the master chef,” he said, adding that he loved to act and cook at the same time.

“I am happy to act and cook for this show, and share the rich Baba and Nyonya culture and heritage, a treasure of multi-racial Malaysia.”

Meng, 22, a graduate of Sunway University College’s school of performing arts and media who appeared in its re-staging of Atomic Jaya last year, said the cookery show marked her small screen debut.

“Next year, I’ll be starring in Chinese drama series Timeless Season. I’ve just been in an MTV video for One Buck Short, and I’m soon appearing in Cuci The Musical,” she said.

Hee, 22, a medical student of Britain’s University of Bradford, and Ng, 22, a media graduate from Singapore’s Republic Polytechnic are also marking their acting debuts.

Ng will soon appear in a feature film in Tokyo and a music video for Singaporean rock group Jack And Rai.

Hee said: “It’s great acting with Kenny. Besides learning all about Peranakan cuisine, he’s got lots of wonderful stories to share about the community.”

Ng said: “And we all love his food. It’s excellent.”

Qua and the cast hope the show will be made into a television series later.

“If it’s proven to be popular, our next logical step is to bring it to the small screen. I’ve planned this show five years ago, and Kenny’s been a strong supporter of it,” he said, adding that he appeared in the show’s fourth episode.

Qua said the show was Bookmarqc.Com’s first web series and was in line with the company’s mission statement of promoting “all things Malaysian”.

“Shooting took a good three days and we stayed for five nights in Malacca, where Kenny and I are from,” he said.

“I’d love to come up with more sitcoms that celebrate and educate Malaysians about their cultural diversity, with fun-loving and positive characters like the Bibik taking the lead.”