Rindu Tan Sri P Ramlee

Thirty seven years ago on May 29 1973, the whole of Malaysia wept for the loss of the country’s brightest, funniest, multitalented and charismatic son. P. Ramlee… he was all this, and much, much more.

As a young girl in primary school, I remember sobbing endlessly when P Ramlee passed away. I was afraid there would be no more Friday night movies.Almost every Friday, we would drive back from Kuantan to Chenor to my grandfather's place and the highlight was the P Ramlee movie on the black and white telly. The neighbours would come by to watch and the kids would be playing in the garden. Innocent times. Black and white times. Cherished times.

P. Ramlee was born in Penang, Teuku Zakaria Teuku Nyak Puteh on March 22, 1929. As the young Teuku Zakaria entered school, his father registered him as Ramlee Puteh. It was in 1947, at a talentime competition at the City Light Hall in Penang, when he first used the stage name P Ramlee.

359 songs, 62 films and 4 theatre productions later, P Ramlee, the legend, was destined to remain forever in the hearts of all Malaysians from all walks of life, from the comedians to the royalty, the politicians to the men on the street, the young and the old, the romantics and the realists.

Today, children born long after he has gone sing his songs and laugh at the classic jokes in his ever classic comedies like Bujang Lapok, DO RE MI and LABU LABI: The subtle message in Ibu Mertuaku and Antara Dua Darjat continue to confront those who live in a materialistic society. History and folklore became visibly alive and real in the movies Hang Tuah, Sultan Mahmood Mangkat Di Julang and Nujum Pak Belalang. My personal favourite? Sumpah Semerah Padi.

Recognition of P Ramlee's work was in the region was testimony to his genius. The film Madu Tiga won the award for the Best Comedy Film at the Asian Film Festival in Hong Kong. And P Ramlee’s potrayal of both father and son in Anak-Ku Sazali in 1956 won him due recognition as the Best actor in Asia.

In 1990, His Majesty the Yang diPertuan Agong IX Sultan Azlan Shah posthumously awarded the title Panglima Setia Mahkota which carries the title Tan Sri in acknowledgement of P Ramlee’s achievements, contributions and dedication in his work throughout his lifetime.

His legacy is a national treasure that brings people of all stature and background together in reflection… in tears and in laughter. Timeless… unforgettable…irreplaceable…

In words of Sasterawan Negara, Datuk A Samad Said….

Ketiadaannya dirasakan kehadirannya
Kehadirannya dirasakan kehilangannya
Kehilangannya dirasakan kerugiannya

Kita terlalu terhutang kepadanya…

YOU TUBE INSPIRATION

Very often, the girls and I go ga-ga over some inspiring act on you tube. One of the very first to mesmerise all of us was young Connie Talbot, seen here singing Somewhere Over The Rainbow.


Then we fell in love with George Sampson and admired his grit and determination at the BGT.

Here is his performance that won him the BGT.


This year the voice of an angel enchanted us. Jean Baptiste Maunier not only beguiled us with his beautiful voice, he was a superb actor in Les Choristes.Here he is the soprano in Caresse Sur L'Ocean.


And here, as Morhange, Jean Baptiste captivates all as he sings La Nuit.


Our all time favourite is still Michel Jackson. No matter what the rest of the world says, he has given us so many beautiful songs and MTV spectacular performances. A fan tribute captures the best of Michael Jackson.


My hope is that Iman, Inas, Irani, Ilena and Ikesha continue to appreciate true beauty and talent forever.

Mouron in Kuala Lumpur - an enchanting evening

Last night, Rudi and I took Irani and Ilena to see Mouron in concert - the French Diva de Chanson. The concert was held at the Panggung Bandaraya at the corner of Jalan Raja and Jalan Tun Perak, just across the river from the Sessions Court at the Padang. Reconstructed after a massive fire a few years ago, the Panggung was in pristine condition, albeit a bit old fashioned - here is Irani at the Panggung's lobby and the girls at the Medan Selera di Tebing.

We arrived early to confirm our seating for the show - by the way it was a free concert organised by A'lliance Francaise and the French Embassy for the French Arts & Film Festival 2010 - so we walked over to Medan Selera di Tebing - the inconspicuous space you see at the junction of Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman and Jalan Tun Perak. There was a fountain which the girls loved and KL looked beautiful from where we sat. The kway teow was lovely and the pau was great. It would be nice if the trees were lighted but as the sunset faded and the evening fell upon us, we got this fantastic view of the moon over KL from where we sat.

The best was yet to come. We walked back to the theatre and the girls decided it would be fun to sit at the VIP balcony seats. So we walked upstairs. By the way, just like all old buildings, the ladies room was huge and right next to the aisle - great when you have kids. The ceiling was decorated with a huge kite design - I couldn't decide whether it was hideous or just plain. It was very cold. A baby grand piano looked lonely on stage.

Mouron appeared at 8.45pm - garbed in a non-descript gray suit. She gave an introduction to her first song about a man who would sing and sing... come what may.

Then she sang.

Mouron c'est VOIX. Mouron is emotion packed into a song. Each word was crystal clear and inundated with feeling and a story.Each song had an introduction and I loved this particular intro.

"When we have had enough of Paris, we would go to Marseilles.

In Marseilles, there are blue skies. There is calm. Above all, in Marseilles, there is the sea.

Give me waves Terry. Give me the sound of the waves.

And here is one of the most well known French love song."

As her voice faded into darkness, we knew her next song would be La Mer...

Mouron was theatric, funny and full of life. Her interpretation of Edith Piaf's La Vie En Rose was heart wrenching, her Un dessert au Desert was fun - she sang non-stop for an hour. Irani danced on the staircase, so moved she was by the music and familiar songs.

It was an enchanted evening - in more ways than we expected.

A fitting end to our celebration of the FAFF2010!

Family Friday

9.30am Irani at Perangsang Templar Golf Club

Went to Perangsang Templar Golf Club to check out Irani's swimming lessons. She was so happy to see both Rudi and I at the swimming pool. She is today the only sister who can swim properly and looked so carefree in the water!

Here she is with best friend Intan!

10.30am Ilena and Ikesha at Wet Water World

The annual Wet Water Day with the Bomba is always a real treat for kids and parents alike. Ikesha just loved it! Ilena the veteran was in posing mode.

9.30pm French Immersion with Iman and Inas

Inas's comment said it all,"Inspiring..."

Yes the movie had all the ingredients that a good real life drama should - economical in language, great period costumes, strong characters, tragic romance. Audrey Tautou was enchanting.

I remember the first French movie I took Iman & Inas to several years ago which featured the debut of Audrey Tautou.

True Inspiration despite broken dreams

Elaboration to come...

The light at the end of the tunnel

It is strange that Malaysians all around seemed to immediately pick up on the good feeling factor about the economy on the very same day - one day ahead of the newspaper announcements.

From boardroom meetings, to the hair-salon and pasar malam - idle conversations centered on how lucky the Mat Sallehs feel to be in Malaysia, looking ahead to a possible meltdown in Europe, on how many more ladies , men and teenagers are coming back to the hair salon to style up their coiffures. At the pasar malam, lazy chairs, carpets and other home decor items add to the normal staple groceries available.

Yes, Malaysians are smiling once again, it seems the good times are just around the corner.

Nevertheless, in some way or the other, the bleak uncertainties facing Europe and the US must keep us on our toes for no economy is insulated. This time around, let us make sure we keep the stringent measures in place, continue to reduce subsidies and keep the MACC pressure on.

More On Public Relations

Obama On The Oil Spill: "I think the American people are now aware, certainly the folks down in the Gulf are aware, that we're dealing with a massive and potentially unprecedented environmental disaster. The oil that is still leaking from the well could seriously damage the economy and the environment of our Gulf states, and it could extend for a long time. It could jeopardize the livelihoods of thousands of Americans who call this place home." He added, "BP is responsible for this leak; BP will be paying the bill. But as President of the United States, I'm going to spare no effort to respond to this crisis for as long as it continues. And we will spare no resource to clean up whatever damage is caused."

Well said.

Obama On Times Square failed car bomb attempt: "I want to commend the work of the NYPD, the New York Fire Department, and the FBI, which responded swiftly and aggressively to a dangerous situation. And I also want to commend the vigilant citizens who noticed this suspicious activity and reported it to the authorities... We're going to do what's necessary to protect the American people, to determine who is behind this potentially deadly act, and to see that justice is done. And I'm going to continue to monitor the situation closely and do what it takes at home and abroad to safeguard the security of the American people."

The echo is deafening. Sounds like hollow PR to me.

Mishaps, misbehaviour - misflying?

The news constantly provide food for chatter no matter how old or how young you are. However, it was startling to see the general news today attracting seasoned adults and youngsters alike. On Facebook today, I saw some comments from young teens on the news.

From the tragedy of a teenager's untimely death for being at the wrong place at the wrong time to 747 Boeings hovering just above the highest point of the KL Twin Towers, many had a lot to say. And ala the New York population some time ago who got jittery when Air Force One was seen fying too low above the cosmopolitan, KLites were up in arms.


Now here is a PR exercise turned quite wrong. While it was a wonderful idea to bring cheer and joy to the 300 passengers of underprivileged and terminally-ill children, the panic it created showed a lack of concern for the very public MAS derives its income from.


Or is memory so short - that last year's news in the US failed to warn the MAS PR department that maybe it would be a good idea to inform the public of their good intentions - this could have been turned into a pre-event press release which would also boost the CSR stunt (yes, stunt it was)! Of course hind-sight is 20/20 but foresight in this instance would have showed a great deal of professionalism. As it is now, MAS had to backtrack and state all the reasons (which the public had no knowledge of) why the flight was safe, all safety conditions were met and the pilots chosen were the best for the job. What an end to a PR exercise with a whole dose of good intention.


And I would really like to know what was the role of a DCA air traffic controller on board ? Was he to be the escape clause if something went wrong?


Well, at least, this joy flight above the KL skyline showed me that young Malaysians care enough to read the news and debate on it. And that is a good thing, I am sure.