P. Ramlee, A Malaysia Icon1 min read
Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe very mention of the name P. Ramlee brings to mind images from his films, melodies from his song and his refreshing humour that provides good-natured laughter for Malaysians, young and old.
Tan Sri P. Ramlee, or his real name Teuku Zakaria Bin Teuku Nyak Puteh, who died 38 years ago at the age of 44, was not only an icon in his era, he continued to inspire people long after his death.
He had been directly involved in the production of 60 films and 360 songs, an immensely prolific achievement and a testimony to the man’s commitment to his art.
P. Ramlee started his career nearly a decade before independence and went on to become a prominent figure in the country’s entertainment industry during the nation’s formative years.
His presence remained felt even as the country marches to become a developed nations, looming large in the collective consciousness of the people, who now see him as not only the country’s entertainer extraordinaire, but also an icon for 1Malaysia, the concept mooted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to rally Malaysians to unite and march together as one.
