KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 29 — Weeks after premiering its first original series of the year, Kelas Belakang, streaming platform Viu Malaysia is set to release its second original today, titled Sesaat Lebih — Malay for “Just a Second Longer”.

The romantic comedy drama was filmed across Malaysia and Taiwan, featuring locations such as Sun Moon Lake and Taipei 101.

The series stars singer-actress Nabila Razali, who previously appeared in the 2024 Viu original Bawah Payung Awan. She is joined by Malaysian singer, actor and model Alvin Chong, as well as radio personality and singer Haziq Hussni, with both playing lead roles.

The supporting cast includes Zila Bakarin, Hawra Jamalullail and Fahmy Reza.

The story of Sesaat Lebih and cast insights

Sesaat Lebih follows Adelia (Nabila), a career-driven woman whose life is upended following the sudden death of her husband, Haoyu (Chong).

As she struggles to cope with grief while raising her young daughter, the return of Adeef (Haziq) — Haoyu’s longtime university friend — brings back old memories and sets her on a journey of healing, self-discovery and renewed strength.

The three leads attended the series launch yesterday at Come True Cafe in 1 Utama Shopping Centre, alongside Taiwanese representatives and members of the media.

At the event, Nabila said her role as Adelia contrasted sharply with her previous character Widad in Bawah Payung Awan.

“Widad grew up facing hardship and scarcity, while Adelia comes from a stable and well-educated background, but lives with constant fear and uncertainty,” she said, adding that the emotional demands of both roles were very different.

Chong said he was initially surprised by the script, as his character dies in the first episode and later appears as a hallucination to Adelia.

“He is a husband who is unable to work due to illness, but still cooks and takes care of their child,” he said.

Haziq said his character Adeef takes on the responsibility of caring for Haoyu’s child following his best friend’s death, while also supporting Adelia.

“It’s something very different from reality, as I’ve never faced this kind of situation before,” he said.

Why the series is showcasing Taiwan as its central location

Steven Lim Tze Siang, Director of Viu Original Development, said the idea for Sesaat Lebih emerged naturally as Nabila is an ambassador for Taiwan Tourism and was based in Taiwan at the time.

“It started with the talent,” he said, adding that the story was later developed around the opportunity.

Lim said overseas shoots typically materialise when suitable opportunities arise, often with the backing of tourism bodies.

In this case, Sesaat Lebih received support from Taiwan Tourism, while previous productions such as From Saga with Love were backed by Saga City and the Saga Film Commission in Japan.

Sesaat Lebih spans 12 episodes and will stream exclusively on the Viu app from today, with new episodes released every Thursday and Friday.