Jo Kilat

Lore & Background

The series centered on Jo, a 10-year-old street-wise Singaporean Malay nicknamed 'Jo Kilat' for being 'as fast as lightning'. His friends represented other key ethnic groups: Sam, an Indian heavy eater; Nick, a tall Chinese Singaporean; and Rid, a teen who preferred listening to his Walkman. Older characters included Jo's parents and his grandfather Tok. The pilot episode aired on 30 January 1998 as a Ramadan special, in which Jo and his friends searched for a lost companion in Geylang Serai during Ramadan.

Reader's Guide

Jo Kilat holds significance as the first local animation produced in Singapore, marking a milestone in the country's media history. The series aimed to showcase local animation and storylines in a nation that largely appreciated Western animated series like The Simpsons. It won an award in December 1998, becoming the most popular Malay-language kids show of that year, surpassing two educational series on Prime 12, Matemajik and Ya Alif. The show's production involved a Mumbai animation team led by Indian expert Rem Mohan, most of whom had never visited Singapore. Following channel retooling, reruns aired on the new Suria channel from 31 January 2000 to 15 April 2000.

Did You Know?

• The series was the first locally produced animation in Singapore.
• The pilot episode aired as a Ramadan special on 30 January 1998.
• Animation was done by a Mumbai team led by Indian animation expert Rem Mohan.
• The series won an award in December 1998 as the most popular Malay-language kids show of that year.