Tombiruo is a novel written
by Ramlee Awang Mursyid, a famous thriller novelist in Malaysia. It was almost
20 years that this novel has first being published which is in 1998. Until now
the novel is still available in bookstores. After almost 20 years, for sure
many people have read the novels, and for the long time it has stay as the
backlist title, it necessarily already has its own fans. The book adaptation
into film might give a few impacts on both the film and novel. Those who have
read the novel will compare the novel version with the film version.

Tombiruo is Sabah dialect
that brings the meaning the spirit of the jungle. It was about Ejim who are not
having a perfect physical. People said he had a face of a monster. Without they
knowing Ejim is just a normal human being who live in the forest to continue
his life. As the novel taking place in 1998, the time setting for the novel was
also in 1998. The film adaptation will be having a different version as it was
adapted in 2017. Thus, this paper is to compare the plot of the novel and its
film adaptation.In Malaysia, the trend to
adapt books into a television series and film is just started few years ago.
Even though the first novel adaptation into film in Malaysia start in 1958,
novels adaptation not getting much attention from the film producer in this
country. However, in a few years back, most of the television series and film
have been using book adaptation. Most of the film or drama series that was
adapted is having high rating taking examples of Ombak Rindu and Lagenda Budak
Setan. The readers of the books mostly would choose to watch and try to compare
the better version. Even in bookstores, the novel that was adapted is always in
the best-selling list.

Aguilar (2013) mentioned, adaptation
of a literature work into a cinematic material is purposely to make it reach
wider audience. When a novel was adapted into film a few questions will be ask.
This statement was supported by Sustkova (2014) as she asking a few questions regarding
book adaptation. One of the question is how was the storyline of the novel will
maintain as the original plot. Second is all the place and time setting will be
created exactly as the novel or they will be any changes. For the character, as
the readers have read the novel, they want to know how will the character in
the novel will be presented. Is it the same as they had in mind while reading
the novel or the other way around? The last question is how was the theme and
the original idea of the novel will be adapted into film.Today, when watching
television or even movie in the cinema, most of the story line was adapted from
a novel. This trend is not a new thing in the film industry however in Malaysia
it has becomes like a phenomenon as every new drama in the television was
adapted from a novel. After all, if this trend become famous is it become a big
help in selling the books that was adapted because viewers will be interested
to own the book. In social media, people who
are watching the movie or drama always write their review to express their
opinion. This is at the same time promote how good or bad the plot of the
novel. The drama or film also become popular if the actor and actress is
handsome and pretty which is also a big help to a television station for their
rating and also good to be use by a publisher as a marketing strategy for the
novel. Publisher can take this opportunity to publish a new edition with a
poster of the film or drama as the front cover. Another effect of novel
adaptation is during the premier time, some of the novels become one of the
best-selling list in the bookstores.

However, a few questions need
to be ask to know whether the plot between novel and film is same or different.
This study is to compare whether the film adaptation and its original version
of the novel have the same plot or different plot. The difference in plot is on
the timeline, the character or the place it occurs.