KL Artists Among 2025 Krishen Jit Fund Recipients

ANN MARIE CHANDY and VERONICA SHUNMUGAM | 16 October 2025

TWO dance artists armed with a camcorder and a lot of gumption have been roaming the streets of Kuala Lumpur, asking everyday KL folk unfiltered questions hoping to find the answer to the question: Who are we, really?

Akademi Seni Budaya dan Warisan Kebangsaan lecturer/contemporary dance choreographer Mohd Nur Faillul Adam and freelance/assistant lecturer Mohd Nuriqram Azhar (of Iqram Experimental Lab) have been arduously compiling a growing collection of unscripted one-minute interviews, providing the backbone of their new dance performance, Kamilah Penipu – Tapi Kami Tak Menipu, a reflection on urban identity and honesty.

Grant recipients Mohd Nur Faillul Adam and Mohd Nuriqram Azhar flanked by Datin Marion D'Cruz and Sharmilla Ganesan (left) and Jolyn Gasper (right).

For Mohd Nur Faillul Adam, receiving a RM10,000 grant from the Krishen Jit Fund (KJF) earlier this month has meant more than financial aid – it’s validation for a form of dance that often struggles to find support. “There are many government grants for traditional dance, but very few for contemporary work,” he said. “KJF has given us the freedom to explore what being Malaysian looks and feels like today.”

He added: “At first, it was quite difficult to find people to interview because we used a random format. Once we started getting responses, some were easy, but others were more challenging – some people were doubtful or simply didn’t trust the process.

“In the end, what we hope audiences will take away is a sense of what has been slowly ‘lost’ – both as Malaysians and as human beings,” said Mohd Nur Faillul.

Mohd Nur Faillul's team includes a singer, actor, musician and multimedia designer which are in the midst of transforming the voices they have compiled into an hour-long performance comprising movement, sound and image. This show is slated for completion and staging in Feb 2026 at Five Arts Centre (FAC), GMBB, KL.

“Our mission is to make this project a medium for the people’s voice — to return that voice to the stage through performance,” said Mohd Nur Faillul. “If we had more funding, we’d love to include talks and discussions as part of the performance itself. We would also want to expand our outreach and conduct random interviews in other states across Malaysia – including Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan. Perhaps then, we might begin to see a pattern emerge about who Malaysians really are.”

Just a few kilometres away in Petaling Street, visual artist/lecturer Ho Chee Jen is reimagining the streets of her childhood. Her idea for a public artwork invites passers-by to imagine what once stood before the area’s shop lots, murals, and modern facades – a glimpse into the layers of KL’s urban memory.

Visual artist and lecturer Ho Chee Jen, who grew up around Petaling Street, hopes to transform the area into an open-air archive.

In Ho’s unique project, she wants to take “gallery wall labels” and transpose them into public urban spaces, turning streets into open air archives.

She said: “I actually grew up here! My secondary school, SMJK Confucian, is located on Jalan Hang Jebat, and I’d always see the sunrise while walking to school. After school, my friends and I would usually hang out at Petaling Street.

“As a kid, I remember my family used to go jogging at the Lake Gardens. After that, we’d drive to Petaling Street for breakfast at Lee Lam Thye Wet Market, and then my sister and I would go for tuition at Chan Academy. So yeah, this place holds all my childhood and teenage memories.”

It is Ho’s belief that even as the city has gone through changes, the stories of who we were deserve to remain visible. Drawing on Michel Foucault’s ideas of space and power, her project, awarded RM8,000 from the KJF, blends visual art and research to connect memory and place – both key themes that have long defined the Fund’s supported works.

Modest Gathering, Lasting Legacy

These artists were among seven recipients announced at a media event in early October at FAC. The event itself was characteristically modest – just nine artists seated under warm spotlights, facing members of the media, sponsors and peers.

Yet, beneath its simplicity, the gathering marked a huge milestone: 20 years of the Krishen Jit Fund quietly shaping Malaysia’s and Kuala Lumpur’s artistic landscape. Leading the announcement, FAC founding member and multi-disciplinary artist Datin Marion D’Cruz shared how artists deserve the freedom and resources to dream.

Marion, in her opening speech, spoke with warmth and honesty about the Krishen Jit Fund’s enduring impact — and its continued mission to uplift local artists with the help of its sponsors.

“The Malaysian arts landscape thrives when this support is given to the arts,” she said, expressing hope that the sponsor partnerships behind the fund would continue for another two decades. “The KJF is not just transactional but a continuing legacy,” she added, referring to the main aims of FAC co-founder and her husband, the late Datuk Krishen Jit (1939-2005) who was passionate about celebrating original Malaysian creativity.

Since its inception in 2004, the KJF has disbursed RM723,000 to 95 artists across disciplines, thanks to sponsors including Astro Kasih and Creador Foundation.

Two Decades, Countless Ripples

Astro ESG senior assistant vice president Jolyn Gasper reaffirmed the company’s commitment to the Fund, saying the grants reflect resilience and imagination. “The fund has evolved and reflects the resilience of the Malaysian arts community, and Krishen’s legacy. The artists’ stories challenge, sustain and connect us as a society,” she said.

Creador Foundation’s content lead Sharmilla Ganesan added that the proposals received each year show the depth of Malaysia’s creative talent. FAC member and Minconsult Sdn Bhd senior advisor Ravi Navaratnam revealed that the selection panel – which this year included Tuan Haji Saifulkhairi Ahmad (MOTAC), playwright Leow Puay Tin, and GMBB’s Lim Ying Xian – carefully reviews around 50 submissions annually, prioritising originality and thought-provoking work, true to Krishen’s ideals.

From contemporary dance to community theatre and visual storytelling, works supported by the KJF continue to echo across the country – prompting conversations about history, identity and change among the millions who call Malaysia home.

Recipients shared insights into their programmes and engaged with the media during a lively Q&A session.

Other KJF recipients this year include Dusun filmmaker and film programmer Nadira Ilana for her experimental video project Sumpah Batu Sumpah, and the female-centred shadow puppetry group Wayang Women who have an Oct 18 REXKL performance just around the corner.

The KJF will also support the art incubator efforts of multi-disciplinary artist Adriana Nordin Manan who works with Borneo Komrad, a non-government organisation that advocates for the rights of stateless youth; and anthropologist and filmmaker Ong Qiao Se for her documentary The Shape of an Almond about a 90-year-old Alzheimer’s patient, and her memories of pre- and post-Merdeka Malaysia.

Director Lee Yee Han is the other grant recipient for his hybrid performance and exhibition Discrimination and Visual Illusions that blends AI visuals with documentary theatre as well as audience interaction.

For more on the Krishen Jit Fund, click here. For more on Five Arts Centre, click here.

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