M’sian-Born MasterChef Aus Winner Receives RM1.18mil to Create TV Series on M’sian Cuisine

By Ameera Rosli  •  05 Aug 2020 in News

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While most would assume that the coronavirus has dampened the enthusiasm and creativity of talents around the world, the same cannot be said about Malaysian creatives who have proven themselves by winning numerous awards.

From winning an Eisner to being acclaimed at the International Manga Awards, Malaysians are thriving and there seems to be no end in sight when it comes to winning international praise.

So it comes as no surprise when Penang-born MasterChef Australia winner, Adam Liaw, received a RM1.18 million film grant by the Australian Foreign Affairs and Trade Department to produce a TV show series showcasing Malaysian cuisine.

The columnist, cook, author and presenter was awarded the film grant due to a public diplomacy effort by Australia. The series titled, Adam Liaw’s Heritage Kitchen, will actually be funded by taxpayers of the land down under in order to promote diversity and cultural links between Australia and Malaysia.

To summarise the show, it will be a depiction of “Australia’s finest produce in cooking Malaysian dishes, Australia’s scenic regions to promote tourism destinations, and personal stories of Australian producers/farmers,” according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

Since Liaw had moved to Adelaide when he was only 3 years old while being raised by his Malaysian father, he seemed like the perfect candidate for this role. Not only is he massively versatile and renowned in the culinary world, he also presents himself as an endearing family man with three children on camera.

This new development could not come at a better time after the celebrity chef took a severe hit when the pandemic started. When almost all of his work that was scheduled for the next six months was cancelled due to Covid-19, he told Huffington Post Australia,

“I think certainly my work kind of straddles the travel, food and arts industry – so I would say the three worst affected industries from all of this. Certainly there’s a lot of people in all of those industries that are doing it very tough at the moment. So I’ve obviously got a bit more time on my hands then, as we all do, to sit at home.”

This new project will surely warm the stove for Liaw after an unfortunate hiatus from the kitchen. Let’s hope to see some of our favourite Malaysian dishes on screen and adeptly prepared by our very own Malaysian celebrity chef in Australia.

Who knows? This might finally be our often-boasted cuisine’s chance to get the international recognition it deserves, instead of letting our neighbours steal our thunder.

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