The 7th Dawn

As the Japanese surrender ends in Malaya, Ferris, Dhana, and Ng stumble out of the jungle into a new, uncertain peace. They meet Trumpey, the British officer presiding over the ceremony, setting the stage for shifting loyalties in a land on the brink of independence.

Ng leaves Malaya to train in Moscow, severing his ties with Ferris and Dhana. His departure foreshadows the widening gap between revolutionary zeal and local loyalties.

By 1953, the Malayan struggle intensifies as the British confront a rising communist insurgency. Ferris has become a prosperous rubber planter, Dhana runs a teachers’ union, and Ng returns as a hardened revolutionary. The three old friends find their fates drawn toward violence and power.

British officials ask Ferris to pressure Ng to halt attacks until independence is granted. He travels to Ng’s guerrilla camp, but Ng distrusts the British and refuses any deal.

Ferris meets Candace, Trumpey’s daughter, at a social event and feels drawn into a delicate, dangerous attraction. Candace invites him to a party at Carcosa Seri Negara, hinting at bridges between the colonial elite and the local leadership.

A terrorist bombing erupts at the Carcosa Seri Negara party, shattering the fragile political mood. The attack intensifies suspicions and shifts personal loyalties among Ferris, Candace, and Ng.

In retaliation for the bombing, Trumpey orders destruction of the bomber’s village, horrifying Dhana. She tells Ferris she wants to join Ng’s cause, deepening the conflict between personal loyalties and political idealism.

Dhana is arrested after explosives are found in her groceries, tried, and sentenced to death. Both she and Ferris refuse to betray Ng to win clemency, preserving their loyalties.

Candace visits Dhana in prison and is moved by her innocence. Dhana asks Candace to help Ferris cope with her death, and Candace volunteers to become Ng’s hostage in exchange for Dhana’s life.

Ferris decides the only way to save Dhana is to kill Ng, and he treks into the jungle toward Ng’s headquarters. The British grant seven days to locate Ng before ordering Dhana’s execution.

As the pursuit closes in, Ng seizes Candace as a hostage, while the British learn Ng’s camp location and launch an assault. Ng escapes with Candace, forcing Ferris to press on.

Ferris catches up to Ng in the jungle, rescues Candace, and takes Ng prisoner. They struggle toward the coast, with Ferris hoping to hand Ng to the British rather than let Dhana die.

In a brutal exchange, Candace shoots Ng, who dies soon after. On his deathbed, Ng reveals he planted the explosives in Dhana’s bicycle to provoke protests against the British.

The rescue attempt to save Dhana is thwarted when a flood washes out the bridge. Dhana is executed as scheduled, and Ferris and Candace are rescued by the British, ending their jungle ordeal.

Some time later, Ferris visits Candace and learns she has survived her ordeal. He confesses that he is too old for romance and must leave Malaya, bidding farewell as Malay protests against Dhana’s death begin to surge.