Sibu-born actor eyes bigger prospects from ‘Gayong 2’

KUCHING (April 15): Sibu-born actor and martial artist Lee Tian Jiang is hoping to catch bigger opportunities after his involvement in the latest action drama, ‘Gayong 2’.

Directed by Faisal Ishak, the movie is set for cinema release this April 9, banking on the first film last year, which grossed over RM4 million.

It is based on the early life of the Silat Gayong founder, the late Grandmaster Datuk Meor Abdul Rahman from Perak.

Tian Jiang, known in the industry as TJ, plays one of the villain characters ‘Dok Jua’.

“In Teochew dialect, ‘Dok Jua’ translates to ‘venomous snake’.

“So you’d definitely know that he’s the bad guy,” he quipped during a WhatsApp chat with The Borneo Post.

Now based in Sabah, TJ hopes that Gayong 2 would open more doors to acting opportunities not only in Malaysia, but also overseas.

“I’m ready to spread my wings and explore these opportunities,” said 27-year-old, whose good looks and attractive personality landed him the winning title at the Bachelor of Malaysia 7.0 male pageant last year.

The actor also expressed hope that there would be more screen talents from Borneo to be featured in the nation’s mainstream film industry.

“I’m very fortunate to have landed a role in Gayong 2.

“Being an actor based in Sabah, landing an opportunity like this one is quite rare and challenging.

“In this respect, I am grateful for the chance given by the director, producer and the entire team – it means a lot to me.”

On Gayong 2, TJ hailed it as a ‘storytelling masterpiece’, inspired by a true story in the post-World War I era.

“I hope that this movie would encourage us to uphold and honour our history.

“Also, I hope to always be blessed with support from the film community, as I want to prove my worth in this industry,” he added.

Gayong 2 features a spectacular line-up of popular Malaysian screen talents such as the award-winning leading man Beto Kusyairy, Nabilah Huda and Syafie Naswip.