Karamjit Singh: The Malaysian Rally Legend Our Generation Should Never Forget

There are stories we watch on the big screen, and then there are stories that someone had to live first

As Terbang arrives in Malaysian cinemas today (17th September 2026), audiences will watch a story of rally cars, competition, setbacks, teamwork, and the fight to reach the world stage. Directed by Chiu Keng Guan, the film is inspired by one of the biggest names in Malaysian motorsport, ‘Karamjit Singh’, better known as the ‘Flying Sikh’.

But beyond the film, Terbang also gives us a reason to look back at the real man who helped create a piece of Malaysian sporting history.

Every generation has it’s sporting heroes. Some are still competing, while others made their mark years before younger Malaysians were old enough to watch them. But the years that pass should never take away from what they achieved.

Karamjit is one of those names.

His story was never only about driving fast or collecting trophies. It was about believing that a Malaysian could compete against the best in the world, and continuing even when the journey became difficult.

The Man Behind the Flying Sikh

Karamjit’s journey in rallying goes back decades. After making his rally debut in the 1980s, he eventually raced with the Petronas EON Racing Team (PERT), taking his career beyond Malaysia and onto the international stage. Then came the achievement that would forever be part of Malaysian sporting history.

In 2002, Karamjit became the first Asian driver to win the FIA Production Car World Championship for Drivers, achieving it on his first attempt. He also won the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship in 2001, 2002, and 2004.

Those titles tell us what Karamjit achieved. But they do not tell us everything it took to get there.

When Winning Was Never Guaranteed

Today, it is easy to look back at Karamjit as a world champion and see only the finish line.

The road towards it was far less certain.

There were cars that broke down, races that did not go as planned and moments when winning seemed unlikely. There were misunderstandings within the team and the pressure that came with competing internationally.

Karamjit has said that some of these real experiences made their way into Terbang. He even recalled an international competition where other competitors suspected something was illegal about his car because they could not believe how well it was performing.

Through it all, one thing remained important: the team.

While Karamjit was the man behind the wheel, he has made it clear that the success belonged to more than one person. His co-driver, mechanics, and the rest of the Malaysian team were all part of the journey.

Behind one champion stood a group of people working towards the same dream.

When The Cheering Became Quieter

Perhaps one of the most human parts of Karamjit’s story came after some of his greatest wins.

Being a world champion did not mean the struggles disappeared.

As support for rallying in Malaysia became harder to find, Karamjit faced difficulties securing the sponsorship needed to continue racing. He later sold property and cars to help fund his career.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, his struggles became even more public. He sold his Proton Waja and planned to work as an e-hailing driver to continue supporting his family. It is a difficult contrast. A man who once carried Malaysia onto the world motorsport stage later found himself facing a very different challenge away from the rally track.

Yet Karamjit never lost the part of himself that wanted to race.

Even today, more than 2 decades after becoming world champion, he remains involved in the sport. At 64, he recently won the Rally of Melaka 2026 in his 19-year-old Proton Gen2 4WD Turbo.

That makes his story more about success. It is also about what happens after the trophies, when the crowds become quieter and a person has to decide whether the thing they love is still worth fighting for.

For Karamjit, it was.

Now, Malaysia Gets to Meet Him Again

More than two decades after his world championship victory, Karamjit’s journey has found another way to reach Malaysians.

Terbang stars Irfan Zaini as Ajeet, a character inspired by Karamjit. The film follows Ajeet as he returns to rallying and joins a Malaysian team with hopes of competing on the world stage.

But Terbang is not a scene-by-scene retelling of Karamjit’s life.

Karamjit himself described the film as around 60% true to his real story. It mainly focuses on his journey towards becoming a world champion, while some parts were changed or dramatised for the screen. According to Karamjit, there is still much more of his story left to tell, from his Asia-Pacific journey and Malaysian championships to how everything began with his father’s car.

And perhaps that is why Terbang matters beyond the film itself. It gives another generation a chance to discover a Malaysian sporting figure whose biggest achievements happened more than two decades ago.

A Legacy Worth Carrying Forward

For some younger Malaysians, Terbang may be their first introduction to Karamjit Singh. And there is something meaningful about that.

Sport moves quickly. New athletes rise, new records are made and new names take over the headlines. But celebrating the present does not mean we should lose sight of the people who helped build the history that came before it.

Malaysia has seen athletes across different sports carry the Jalur Gemilang onto international stages, break records, and achieve things that once seemed out of reach. Their stories deserve to remain part of the conversation, even years after the crowds have gone home and the medals have been won.

Karamjit is part of that history.

His journey had victories, struggles, and sacrifices, but his place in Malaysian motorsport was earned through years of commitment to the sport he loved. Becoming the first Asian driver to win the FIA Production Car World Championship remains an achievement that a new generation of Malaysians deserves to know about.

Perhaps that is one of the most valuable things Terbang can leave behind. Beyond introducing audiences to a story inspired by Karamjit, it can encourage us to look back at the real people behind some of Malaysia’s proudest sporting moments.

Our sporting legends should not only be celebrated when they are standing on podiums or making headlines. Their achievements remain part of our history long after those moments have passed.

As younger generations discover new athletes to support and new sporting moments to celebrate, there should always be room to remember the names that came before them. And Karamjit Singh is certainly one of those names.