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Union Internationale de la Marionnette

Non-Governmental Organization affiliated to UNESCO

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Malaysian puppeteer Bright Ong and his puppets have been associating with royalty this year – quite literally in the case of the Raja Muda (Crown Prince of Perlis, Malaysia), and also with the Queen of Conservation, Dr Jane Goodall, renowned for her ground-breaking work with primates.

In November 2024, Bright was involved in a fascinating 2 part venture in Malaysia. As a commission by Roots and Shoots Malaysia, which is an arm of the Jane Goodall Institute, he created a suite of stump-tailed macaque puppets under the banner: “Beruk Kentoi: Echoes of Perlis”.

The monkeys first performed at the opening of the Denai Warisan, an eco-heritage trail. This was a highly prestigious opportunity, as the puppets were presented to the Raja Muda and his wife. The event supported the rejuvenation of a small town in Malaysia (Kaki Bukit, in the state of Perlis) as an ecotourism destination, encapsulating the area’s architecture, natural landforms, spirit, grit, and soul in the process. The project was headed by Peter Ong of Monyet Ventures.

The second part of the venture, was at the Symposium of Hope in Kuala Lumpur. Where the puppets were privileged to attend the 90th birthday celebration for Dr Jane Goodall, the world’s most revered expert on primates. Invited to use the grandmother macaque in the introduction before her speech, one could never have guessed how moving it would be when Dr Goodall engaged directly with the puppet, placing her forehead on the monkey’s own, and giving it a kiss, the way she has done with her chimpanzee companions for years, and in that moment making her love for all living things utterly tangible.

Visit these links to read more about how puppetry can embody more than the usual environmental messages on conservation, beyond a powerful metaphor for heritage and natural history, but also a symbol of hope:


Feature: Weaving diverse conservation narratives using puppetry

 

You can follow him on Instagram @bright.ong or check out his website: www.brightong.net to learn more about this amazing project.