GEORGE TOWN, Nov 16 — Penangites were shocked and awed when they spotted an extraterrestrial “predator” lurking around Jalan Utama here today.
The spear-wielding ”predator” moved around the stalls outside the Penang General Hospital in his free time to spread joy, giving occasional scares to bystanders.
Afterwards, the “predator” returned to the street stall outside a nasi kandar restaurant, where he continued his duty selling chicken cutlets and sausages.
The “predator” was none other than the food stall vendor, Nor Hisham Awang Nong, 47, who is a huge fan of the film series “Alien vs Predator”.
Nor Hisham said he took inspiration to cosplay as the predator in hopes to attract customers and promote his business, especially during the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO).
He said the materials for the whole costume, worth RM8,000 to RM10,000, were purchased through online shopping platforms and were made by costume makers in Pontian, Johor.
“The costume makers from Johor were part of a group called Gabungan Predator Malaysia (GPM), which I am also a member of,” he said.
He said that he was one of 87 predators throughout Malaysia who joined GPM, but only 10 of them have the full predator costume.
Nor Hisham has performed in several events as the predator and has become a popular character.
“Considering how viral the predator is and the current CMCO, I do not have any plans to dress up as a different character for the time being,” he said.
He said his challenge of playing the character is the costume itself, as the costume weighs 10kg and the suit is airtight.
When roaming around Jalan Utama, Nor Hisham was accompanied by his assistant to help him wipe his sweat off his face once in a while and ensure his well-being.
Moreover, Nor Hisham also has visual disabilities, with his right eye completely blind and his left eye’s vision slowly deteriorating. He is also diagnosed with high blood pressure and cardiac-related issues.
But against all odds, he continues to push himself forward to bring joy and happiness with his role.
“I do hope that COVID-19 will soon disappear so that everyone would not have to suffer any longer.
“But for now, I strongly urge the public to stay safe, strictly comply with the given guidelines and play their roles in combating the pandemic,” he added – BERNAMA