For filmmaker Intan Sakinah, stories hold the power to unravel prejudice. Her film A Jar of Light (Balang Terang), part of Tech Tales Youth 2, takes a critical look at how racial bias spreads in digital spaces and its tangible consequences in the real world. Through the story of Rahim, a Malay-Muslim restaurant owner caught in a web of disinformation, Intan Sakinah challenges viewers to confront society their own biases.

In this interview, we dive into Intan Sakinah’s inspirations, challenges, and the impact of her work—on both communities and herself.

Izzah Dejavu: What inspired you to focus on online disinformation and digital discrimination in ‘Balang Terang’?

Intan Sakinah: It’s ridiculous, really. The inspiration didn’t just come from the flood of insensitive, racist comments I saw on Facebook. It came from something closer, something more intimate—my own family’s WhatsApp group. It’s always the same pattern. An uncle, a granduncle, a relative—someone forwarding a message marked “forwarded many times.” The ones that accuse Chinese-owned brands of disguising themselves as Malay. The ones that say calamari rings are made from pig intestines, so Muslims should stay away. The ones that spread so fast, you’d think they were facts. And for what? What is so wrong with supporting a non-Malay product? If it’s halal, then what exactly is the problem?

I remember the calamari story vividly. It was absurd, but it gnawed at me because I didn’t have a way to counter it. I didn’t have the facts, the source, or the authority to say, this was nonsense. Then, one day, I stumbled upon a video—a young Chinese guy (he was cute too, which helped) reacting to the same message. He spoke directly to the pakciks (uncles) and makciks (aunties) of the internet, saying, “If this were true, imagine how many pigs you’d need just to meet demand. It would be ridiculously expensive. It wouldn’t even be worth the deception!” It was so simple. So logical. And the textures—he pointed out—weren’t even the same! I shared the video with my family group, and surprisingly, it was received well. For a moment, it felt like something shifted. Like people were willing to question, to reconsider. 

But here’s the thing about disinformation—it never really dies. A year later, the same message appeared again in the group chat. As if the correction had never happened. As if the truth was something disposable, easily erased, waiting to be rewritten by the next forward.

Izzah Dejavu: You mentioned experiencing this in your family chat—how did that make you feel?

Intan Sakinah: It felt unfair. But more than that—it felt cruel. People throw around words like ‘boycott’ and ‘haram’ without ever thinking about the weight of those words, about the people who bear the consequences. I remember reading about a case—a Muslim restaurant owner falsely accused of using non-halal ingredients. The backlash was immediate. The threats. The hate. Overnight, their reputation was ruined, and their name was dragged through the mud. And for what? A baseless claim? A whisper turned wildfire? This is what Balang Terang is about. Not just how disinformation spreads, but how deeply it cuts. How it turns neighbours into enemies, trust into suspicion, livelihoods into collateral damage. We talk about digital rights, but what about digital wrongs? The harm we cause with a click, a share, or a comment? Do we ever stop to ask ourselves—what if we were wrong?

Izzah Dejavu: Your film touches on race, one of Malaysia’s 3R (Race, Religion, Royalty) taboos. Did you face challenges addressing this?

Intan Sakinah: The hardest part was courage. And if I’m being honest, I’m still finding it. Even now, I worry—will people misunderstand the film? Will they see it as an attack? Will it bring backlash? That was never my intention. I wasn’t trying to provoke rage, wasn’t trying to create instability. I wasn’t telling people what to think—I was simply asking: Are we truly following the values we claim to uphold?

That’s why I was careful and deliberate. Every detail—the world, the characters, the conflicts—was intentionally constructed. I didn’t want Balang Terang to feel like a lecture. I didn’t want to stand across from my audience and point fingers. I wanted to sit beside them, to hold up a mirror, to gently say: Look. This is us. Is this who we want to be? At the end of the day, I am a Muslim too. I hold the same beliefs and follow the same teachings. And that is why I had to ask: Do our actions truly align with our morals? Or have we become so caught up in fear and outrage that we have forgotten what we stand for?

Izzah Dejavu: What change do you hope for, especially among young Malay Muslims in Malaysia?

Intan Sakinah: Empathy. That’s the most important thing. Not the kind we post about online, not the kind we perform when the world is watching—but the quiet kind, the kind that makes you pause before you hit ‘send.’ The kind that reminds you that behind every screen, behind every name you mock, cancel, or reduce to a headline, is a person. A human being. Someone with a life, a family, a heart.

Secondly, digital literacy. We, the youth, were born into this digital world—our parents, our elders, they arrived late. We are digital natives; they are digital immigrants (as coined by Marc Prensky). They navigate a space we understand instinctively, but they do not. So what do we do? We guide them. We sit beside them as equals, as co-travellers in a world that does not slow down for anyone. We need to teach and assist them in digital literacy, including identifying false news online and harmful intentions, including questioning, verifying, and pausing before forwarding that next chain message. Because if we don’t, who will?

Izzah Dejavu: Racism has real-world consequences. What do you think is the first step to healing these divisions?

Intan Sakinah: One of the things I learned from Tech Tales Youth is this: Digital problems don’t start online. They start in the real world. The internet does not invent prejudice—it amplifies what is already there. Mis/Disinformation, racism, digital violence—these are not glitches in the system. They are symptoms of something much older, much deeper, something rooted in the way we have been taught to see each other.

And that’s the problem, isn’t it? We keep looking for digital solutions to real-world problems. We think, “Maybe if we pass stricter laws, maybe if we ban certain accounts, maybe if we regulate content—then things will get better.” But that’s just damage control. That’s sweeping dust off the surface without asking where the storm is coming from. We can mitigate harm, but we cannot fully stop it—not unless we go to the root.

Digital rights are human rights. We are humans first before we are usernames, profile pictures, and online personas. The solution? It isn’t in another algorithm or another policy—it is buried somewhere in the real world, in the way we educate, in the way we listen, in the way we refuse to let fear dictate how we see one another. And until we are willing to unearth it, the cycle will continue.

Izzah Dejavu: What is the Impact process behind Balang Terang?

Intan Sakinah: For me, impact isn’t measured by views or shares—it’s measured by the conversations that are sparked, the biases that are confronted, and the minds that are changed. Balang Terang was never meant to be just a film; it’s a tool to challenge how we think about race, prejudice, and misinformation. Collaborations with organizations like Architects of Diversity (AOD) and upcoming youth projects are part of this broader effort to create dialogue and empower people to question what they accept as truth.

On February 7, 2025, Balang Terang was screened at Sekolah Diversiti in Janda Baik, Pahang, in collaboration with AOD. Nearly 40 Malaysian students aged 16–17 from diverse backgrounds gathered for a two-hour session that went beyond just watching a film. It was about engaging them in critical thinking. They were introduced to fact-checking tools like JomCheck and SEBENARNYA.MY, learning to challenge the media they consume rather than passively accepting it. This is the kind of impact I strive for—youth actively questioning the narratives fed to them and understanding the power of misinformation.

What I find most meaningful about this process is how it uses the Video for Change framework, which emphasizes participation, accountability, power analysis, and risk management. It’s about understanding who holds power, who gets to speak, and how we can level those dynamics. The framework pushes me to ask deeper questions: How do we build participation meaningfully? How do we ensure transparency and accountability to the communities we engage with? And most importantly, how do we manage risks so that our work doesn’t unintentionally harm those we’re trying to help? But more than anything, it’s about the people—the students, the communities, the changemakers—who choose to engage with the film, challenge their own biases, and start conversations that were previously left unspoken. Balang Terang is a tool, but real change happens when people decide that understanding, empathy, and truth are worth fighting for.

Check out the ‘Balang Terang’ – Impact Campaign Builder below, a strategic tool designed to amplify engagement, ensure lasting impact, and help prioritise the key audiences to reach for meaningful change.

Film’s Message	Impact Goals	Partners	Type of Change Changing Minds Changing Behaviours Building Communities Changing Structures	Impact Activity	Impact Tasks
The harmful impact of online dis/misinformation in general and across different races/ communities.	Equip the youths with information on how to combat online misinformation and the fact-checking tools available in Malaysia.	JomCheck AOD Progressive food group Consider: Food bloggers and social media influencers	Changing Minds Changing Behaviours	Community screening with discussion (in-person & online) Social media campaigns	Partner with JomCheck for impact activities and screenings. Contact AOD’s Advocacy Manager to schedule a film showing at Sekolah Diversiti. Organize engaging post-screening activities Develop a resource kit for community screenings.
Fake news and misinformation about halal products in Malaysia can lead to social disharmony and racial tension.	Unverified and unfiltered content can harm other races.	Schools Universities (Southern Uni College, JB) Local neighbourhoods/ communities	Changing Minds Changing Behaviours		Same as above
Youths should be aware of the online content consumed by the older generation, just as parents should be aware of their children’s content consumption.	The younger generation can participate in their grandparents’ digital explorations to help keep them safe from false information.		Changing Behaviours Building Communities	Community screening with discussion and activities will be followed by a hands-on action to engage the audience in their elderly’s digital exploration. This can be as simple as evaluating their awareness of their elderly’s digital activities or sharing a PSA video with them.	Connect with JomCheck for partnership on impact activities and screenings.   Plan post-screening activities tailored to the interests of the organisation, school, or audience.   Contact organizations/schools to organize the screening.  .
Our online and offline social lives are intertwined and will affect one another.	Promoting the understanding of how tech can make or break relationships. Promoting guidelines for safe and healthy internet use to promote digital wellbeing.	General, all of the above Social media personalities	Changing Behaviours	Community screening with discussions Social media campaigns Partnership with governmental agencies that promote digital wellbeing and safe internet use	Research Malaysia’s guidelines for online safety and digital wellbeing for internet use.  Partner with agencies, influencers, or advocates on social media to promote the film’s message and recommended guidelines.