Tan Sri
The Malay language has a complex system of styles, titles and honorifics which are used extensively in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the southern Philippines.
Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and several provinces in Indonesia regul ...
Datuk Amar Teuku Zakaria bin Teuku Nyak Puteh (later Ramlee bin Puteh) (22 March 1929 – 29 May 1973), better known by his stage name P. Ramlee (Puteh Ramlee), was a
Malaysian
Malaysian may refer to:
* Something from or related to Malaysia, a country in Southeast Asia
* Malaysian Malay, a dialect of Malay language spoken mainly in Malaysia
* Malaysian people, people who are identified with the country of Malaysia regard ...
actor, filmmaker, musician, and composer famous in both modern-day
Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
,
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
and
Southern Thailand
Southern Thailand, Southern Siam or Tambralinga is a southernmost cultural region of Thailand, separated from Central Thailand region by the Kra Isthmus.
Geography
Southern Thailand is on the Malay Peninsula, with an area of around , bounded ...
. Due to his contributions to the film and music industry and his literary work, which began with his acting debut in Singapore in 1948, to the height of his career and then later in Malaysia in 1964 to his decline and death, he is regarded as a prominent icon of Malay entertainment. His popularity has reached as far as
Brunei
Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely sur ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
, as well as in
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
and
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
.
Early life
Ramlee was born on 22 March 1929 to Teuku Nyak Puteh Bin Teuku Karim (1902–1955) and Che Mah Binti Hussein (1904–1967). His father, Teuku Nyak Puteh, who was a descendant of a wealthy family in Aceh, migrated from
Lhokseumawe
Lhokseumawe ( id, Kota Lhokseumawe; ace, Lhôk Seumaw‘è, Jawi: ), is the second largest city in Aceh province, Indonesia. The city covers an area of 181.06 square kilometres, and had a population of 171,163 at the 2010 censusBiro Pusat Stati ...
in
Aceh
Aceh ( ), officially the Aceh Province ( ace, Nanggroë Acèh; id, Provinsi Aceh) is the westernmost province of Indonesia. It is located on the northernmost of Sumatra island, with Banda Aceh being its capital and largest city. Granted a s ...
, (present day Indonesia) to settle in
Penang
Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...
, where he married Ramlee’s mother, who hailed from Kubang Buaya,
Butterworth Butterworth may refer to:
Places
* Butterworth (ancient township), a former township centred on Milnrow, in the then Parish of Rochdale, England, United Kingdom
* Butterworth, Eastern Cape, now also known as Gcuwa, a town located in South Africa
...
.
Ramlee received his education from the Sekolah Melayu Kampung Jawa (Kampung Jawa Malay School), Francis Light English School and then to
Penang Free School
, motto_translation = Strong and Faithful
, streetaddress = Green Lane,
, city = George Town
, state = Penang
, postcode = 11600
, country = Malaysi ...
; in all he was registered as "Ramlee" by his father, because his name Teuku Zakaria was not suitable with other children at that time. Reportedly a reluctant and naughty student, Ramlee was nevertheless talented and interested in music and football. His studies at the Penang Free School were interrupted by the
Japanese occupation from 1942 to 1945, during which he enrolled in the Japanese navy school (Kaigun Gakko). He also learnt the basics of music and to sing Japanese songs during this period with his teacher, Hirahe-san. When the war ended, he took music lessons that enabled him to read musical notations.
Name
He abbreviated his name to P. Ramlee (Puteh Ramlee), taking inspiration from the
Tamil patronymic naming conventions, where the initial stood for his father's name (Puteh) and was followed by his given name (Ramlee).
Career
![P Ramlee and Kasma Booty, Peran Pemuda dalam Kebangkitan Film Indonesia, p114](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/P_Ramlee_and_Kasma_Booty%2C_Peran_Pemuda_dalam_Kebangkitan_Film_Indonesia%2C_p114.jpg)
By 1948, the 19 year-old Ramlee had already won a number of singing competitions, and was writing his own songs and playing the violin in a
kroncong
Kroncong (pronounced "kronchong"; id, Keroncong, nl, Krontjong) is the name of a ukulele-like instrument and an Indonesian musical style that typically makes use of the kroncong (the sound ' comes from this instrument, so the music is called ' ...
band.
That year,
B. S. Rajhans
Balbir Singh Rajhans ( pa, ਬਲ੍ਦੇਨ੍ ਸਿੰਘ ਰਝਨ੍ਸ੍, Baldēn sigha rajhans), or better known as B. S. Rajhans, was a director of Malay films. His first film was ''Laila Majnun'' which was released in 1933.
Early l ...
, a film director for the
Malay Film Productions
The Malay Film Productions Ltd., also known as the Shaw Studio, is a former film studio located on Jalan Ampas in Balestier, Singapore. The studio operated from 1947 to 1969 with more than 150 movies produced, and was a major contributor to the Go ...
(MFP) came across P. Ramlee at a singing competition hosted by Radio Malaya in
Bukit Mertajam
Bukit Mertajam ( Jawi:بوكيت مرتاجم) is the administrative centre of the city of Seberang Perai in Penang, Malaysia. It also serves as the seat of the Central Seberang Perai District. , Bukit Mertajam (core) contains a total of 13, ...
, Penang. Rajhans placed Ramlee in a supporting role in his film ''
Chinta'' ("Love"), in which he played a villain, and he also performed five songs as a
playback singer
A playback singer, also known as a ghost singer, is a singer whose singing is pre-recorded for use in films. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and actors or actresses lip-sync the songs for cameras; the actual singer does not app ...
providing vocals for the lead actor .
In 1950, Ramlee played his first major role in the film directed by , ''Bakti'' ("Devotion").
In ''Bakti'', he was the first actor to sing in his own voice instead of relying on playback singer.
In the following films, such as ''Juwita'' in 1951 and ''Ibu'' ("Mother") in 1953, he became established as a major star of the Malay film industry. Between 1948 and 1955, he starred in a total of 27 films.
Aside from acting, Ramlee was a prolific songwriter, and around 500 of his songs have been recorded, either by himself or by other artists.
Ramlee himself recorded 359 songs for his films and records.
Among his best known songs are "", "", "Engkau Laksana Bulan", "", "Tudung Periok", "" and "Azizah".
The songs Ramlee wrote were featured in his films, performed by Ramlee himself or by other artists. In ''
Hang Tuah
Hang Tuah ( Jawi: , /tuah/ or /toh/) is said to have been a warrior who lived in Malacca during the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah in the 15th century. There is limited historical evidence for his existence. However, he was supposedly a great laks ...
'' which was directed by , Ramlee won best musical score at the
Asia-Pacific Film Festival
The Asia-Pacific Film Festival (abbreviated APFF) is an annual film festival hosted by the Federation of Motion Picture Producers in Asia-Pacific. The festival was first held in Tokyo, Japan, in 1954.
History
The festival was first held in Toky ...
.
P. Ramlee started directing feature films in 1955, the first of which was ' ("Trishaw Man"), which was praised as the best Malay film of the year. Ramlee wrote the screenplay for the film based on a story by
Lu Xun
Zhou Shuren (25 September 1881 – 19 October 1936), better known by his pen name Lu Xun (or Lu Sun; ; Wade–Giles: Lu Hsün), was a Chinese writer, essayist, poet, and literary critic. He was a leading figure of modern Chinese literature. W ...
. He also directed and starred in the ''
Bujang Lapok'' comedy series.
One of these, ''
Pendekar Bujang Lapok'', won the Best Comedy award at the Asia-Pacific Film Festival.
He also won the Best Actor award for ''
Anak-ku Sazali
''Anak-ku Sazali'' ( Malay: ''Sazali My Son'') is a 1956 Singaporean Malay-language black-and-white melodrama film directed and written by Phani Majumdar. The movie is about love between a man and a woman, dreams that can come true and a father ...
'' at the festival.
Other significant films he directed for MFP include ''
Antara Dua Darjat
''Antara Dua Darjat'' ( Malay: ''Between Two Class'') is a 1960 Singaporean Malay-language black-and-white melodrama film
A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal ...
'', ''
Ibu Mertua-ku'' and
Tiga Abdul.
![P](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/P.Ramlee_Chair_%288273384443%29.jpg)
Ramlee's career at the Malay Film Productions between 1955 and 1964 was considered his "golden age" when he made his most critically acclaimed films and wrote his best-remembered songs. In 1964, he left Singapore for Kuala Lumpur to make films with Merdeka Film Productions, however, he was less successful there. He made 18 films with Merdeka, and his last film was ''
Laksamana Do Re Mi''. His last song was "
Ayer Mata di Kuala Lumpur
"Air Mata di Kuala Lumpur" (English: "Tears in Kuala Lumpur") is a song written by Malaysian P. Ramlee. The song was composed before his death on 29 May 1973, at the age of 44. The song was recorded by his wife, Saloma.
The song was intended to ...
" ("Tears in Kuala Lumpur") intended for a film of the same name before he died in 1973. In all, Ramlee starred in 62 films and directed 33.
Death and legacy
![P](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/P._Ramlee_1.jpg)
Before dawn of 29 May 1973, P. Ramlee died at the age of 44 from a heart attack and was buried at
Jalan Ampang Muslim Cemetery, in Kuala Lumpur.
In 1986, 13 years after his death, in honour of his contributions to the Malaysian entertainment industry, the P. Ramlee Memorial or ''Pustaka Peringatan P. Ramlee'' was built in his home in
Setapak
Setapak is a mukim in Gombak District, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Formerly a tin-mining and rubber estate area, in Malay ''tapak'' means 'step' so ''Setapak'' means 'one step', probably referring to the close proximity of the suburb to Kuala Lu ...
, Kuala Lumpur. In 1982, the street Jalan Parry, in the center of Kuala Lumpur, was renamed Jalan P. Ramlee in his honour. In 1990, he was posthumously awarded the
Malaysian honorific title
Tan Sri
The Malay language has a complex system of styles, titles and honorifics which are used extensively in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the southern Philippines.
Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and several provinces in Indonesia regul ...
, and then in 2009, the honorific title of "Datuk Amar" by Sarawak State Government. Then Chief Minister of Sarawak,
Abdul Taib Mahmud, an avid fan of Ramlee, presented the award to his adopted daughter, Dian P. Ramlee, in a ceremony honouring veteran artists in Kuching.
The ''P. Ramlee House'' is a museum situated along Jalan P. Ramlee (formerly Caunter Hall road) in
Penang
Penang ( ms, Pulau Pinang, is a Malaysian state located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia, by the Malacca Strait. It has two parts: Penang Island, where the capital city, George Town, is located, and Seberang Perai on the Malay ...
, Malaysia. The building is a restored wooden house that was originally built in 1926 by his father and uncle. The house had previously undergone multiple repairs before being taken over by the National Archives as an extension of its P. Ramlee Memorial project in Kuala Lumpur. Items on display at the house include personal memorabilia related to his life in Penang and items belonging to his family.
On 22 March 2017; his 88th birthday, Google honored P. Ramlee with a
Doodle
A doodle is a drawing made while a person's attention is otherwise occupied. Doodles are simple drawings that can have concrete representational meaning or may just be composed of random and abstract lines or shapes, generally without ever lift ...
on the Malaysian Google homepage.
In 2021,
Kentucky Fried Chicken
KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) is an American fast food restaurant chain headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, that specializes in fried chicken. It is the world's second-largest restaurant chain (as measured by sales) after McDonald's, with 2 ...
(KFC) honoured him with their limited-time menu, the Burger P. Ramlee — a combination between KFC Zinger and P. Ramlee's favourite dish, the
Nasi Kandar
Nasi kandar is a popular northern Malaysian dish from Penang, originally introduced by Tamil Muslim traders from India. The meal consists of steamed rice combined with an array of distinct curries, sides dishes, and gravies. The selection of curr ...
where it is available in four combos — À'la Carte, Kombo, Set Legenda and Kombo Ikon.
Filmography
P. Ramlee was involved in many aspects of his films: as scriptwriter, director, actor as well as music composer and singer. He was involved in 62 films throughout his career as an actor, as well as a number of other films in other capacities.
Awards
* :
** Member of the
Order of the Defender of the Realm
The Most Esteemed Order of the Defender of the Realm ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Pangkuan Negara) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country. The Order Motto are 'Dipeliharakan Allah-Pangkuan Negara' (By the Grace o ...
(AMN) (1962)
**
![Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia - PSM](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Order_of_Loyalty_to_the_Crown_of_Malaysia_-_PSM.svg)
Commander of the
Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia
The Most Esteemed Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia ( ms, Darjah Yang Mulia Setia Mahkota Malaysia) is a Malaysian federal award presented for meritorious service to the country and awarded by the sovereign.
The order was instituted on ...
(PSM) – Tan Sri (1990; posthumously)
**P. Ramlee was posthumously granted the
sobriquet
A sobriquet ( ), or soubriquet, is a nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another, that is descriptive. A sobriquet is distinct from a pseudonym, as it is typically a familiar name used in place of a real name, without the need of expla ...
Seniman Agung.
* :
** Knight Commander of the
Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak (DA) – Datuk Amar (2009; posthumously)
Entities named after P. Ramlee
![Jl P](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Jl_P.Ramlee.jpg)
Various places are named after Ramlee
* Jalan P. Ramlee, Penang
(formerly known as Caunter Hall; renamed on 30 August 1983)
* Jalan P. Ramlee, Kuala Lumpur (formerly known as Jalan Parry; renamed in 1982)
* Bangunan P. Ramlee and Bilik Mesyuarat Tan Sri P. Ramlee at Sekolah Kebangsaan Hulu Klang, Selangor (used as background in Masam Masam Manis)
* Jalan P. Ramlee, Kuching, Sarawak (formerly known as Jalan Jawa)
*
Taman P. Ramlee (formerly Taman Furlong) a townships at
Setapak
Setapak is a mukim in Gombak District, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Formerly a tin-mining and rubber estate area, in Malay ''tapak'' means 'step' so ''Setapak'' means 'one step', probably referring to the close proximity of the suburb to Kuala Lu ...
, Kuala Lumpur and
George Town, Penang
* Pawagam Mini P. Ramlee at Studio Merdeka, FINAS,
Ulu Klang
Ulu Klang (alternately Hulu Klang, Hulu Kelang or Ulu Kelang, is a mukim and a state constituency in Gombak District, Selangor, Malaysia. It is one of five state constituencies administered by Majlis Perbandaran Ampang Jaya (MPAJ). It includes ...
, Selangor
* Makmal P.Ramlee at
Filem Negara Malaysia
The National Film Department of Malaysia ( ms, Filem Negara Malaysia), abbreviated FNM, sometimes ''Jabatan Filem Negara'' (JFN) or informally the Malaysian Film Unit; was a Malaysian state-owned film organization. It is the country's first film ...
,
Petaling Jaya
)
, website =
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = ''From top, left to right:Skyline of Petaling Jaya, the 1 Utama Mall integrated with Bandar Utama Station, the Kota Darul Ehsan arch, the Petaling J ...
, Selangor
* P. Ramlee Auditorium (formerly known as RTM Auditorium),
Angkasapuri
Angkasapuri is the main governmental building for Malaysia's Ministry of Information and it is also the headquarters for Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) located in Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
History Pre-Angkasapuri (1946–1968) ...
* SK Tan Sri P. Ramlee, Georgetown, Penang (formerly SK Kampung Jawa, his alma mater; renamed on 13 November 2011)
* Ramlee Mall at
Suria KLCC
Suria KLCC is a 6-story shopping mall located at the foot of the Petronas Twin Towers. Suria KLCC is a premier shopping destination with over 300 flagship stores. The shopping mall is situated in Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia ...
shopping centre, Kuala Lumpur
*
Bukit Nanas Monorail station
Bukit Nanas Monorail station is a Malaysian elevated monorail train station in Kuala Lumpur that serves as a part of the Kuala Lumpur Monorail (KL Monorail). It was opened alongside the rest of the train service on August 31, 2003. This station wa ...
, Kuala Lumpur, formerly known as
P. Ramlee Monorail station
* Auditorium P. Ramlee, RTM Kuching, Sarawak
References
External links
P.Ramlee's Profile, sinemamalaysia.com.my(
Malay language
Malay (; ms, Bahasa Melayu, links=no, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , Rejang script, Rencong: ) is an Austronesian languages, Austronesian language that is an official language of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, and that is also spo ...
)
P. Ramlee Cyber MuseumP. Ramlee: Namamu Dijulang, Jasamu Dikenang Astro special tribute Program, October 2010*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ramlee, P.
Malaysian people of Acehnese descent
Malaysian people of Malay descent
1929 births
1973 deaths
Malaysian male film actors
Malaysian film directors
Malaysian musicians
Malaysian film score composers
Malaysian male singer-songwriters
Malaysian singer-songwriters
Malaysian film producers
Singaporean male film actors
Singaporean film directors
20th-century Singaporean male singers
Singaporean composers
Singaporean singer-songwriters
Singaporean film producers
Acehnese people
People from Penang
Members of the Order of the Defender of the Realm
Commanders of the Order of Loyalty to the Crown of Malaysia
Knights Commander of the Order of the Star of Hornbill Sarawak
Asian film producers
20th-century Malaysian male actors
Malay-language film directors
Malay Film Productions contract players
Merdeka Film Productions contract players
Male film score composers