Back then, Malaysian kids didn't have the luxury of choosing cartoons to watch compared to kids today. We relied on local television or Astro which only had limited cartoons. Here are some Malaysian cartoons and shows we grew up watching. Do you remember any of them?
1. A.L.O.N.G. This was basically our version of Barney and Friends. Together with Angah and Acik, the cats would host a talk show with kids. Remember the jingle? A-L-O-N-G, ALONG!
2. Di Mana Joe Jambul. This kids game show was similar to "Where In The World Is Carmen Sandiego" and was usually shown on local television in the evenings. The show recently made a comeback in 2012.
3. Usop Sontorian. This was one of the first locally made cartoons to hit the market in 1996 and lasted for two years. The series revolved around a bunch of friends in a village.
4. Keluang Man. Our own local Batman, the show was released in 1997 and the series revolves around Borhan. According to Wikipedia, Borhan was a mental patient, who became the superhero at night.
5. Hikayat Sang Kancil Dan Monyet. This was one of the earliest cartoons to hit the market. It was known to be the pioneer cartoon and revolves around the "tail" of Sang Kancil and his adventures.
6. Anak-Anak Sidek. Based off the comic books, "Anak-Anak Sidek" revolves loosely on the real lives of the Sidek brothers and badminton.
7. Kampung Boy. Kampung Boy is a Malaysian animated television series first broadcast in 1997. It tells the adventures of a young boy, Mat, and his life in a kampung (village)
8. Kids Fun Club. Similar to Disney Buzz, Kids Fun Club was shown on local television. It was obviously KFC branded and the show was highly interactive and educational.
9. Hugo Game Show. The show that lasted only for a season, it was a game show where contestants had to control Hugo, the lead character through obstacles and danger in an interactive game.
10. Children's Weekend Entertainment show KIDS@NTV7. Way back before she was a radio announcer and a host, many of us remember her as the 'kakak' who gives out toys before introducing cartoons such as "Beast Wars" on NTV7.
We can't find a picture of the show on the Internet! So here's a picture of Sarimah.
11. Disney Buzz. Back when Disney was still on Channel 31 on Astro, Jien, Karen and Azura would entertain us all by hosting Disney Buzz, a variety show that was a hit amongst children.