P. Ramlee In Memories

Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr. P. Ramlee ,PSM, AMN,DA (Posthumous) (Sarawak) (22 March 1929–29 May 1973) was a Malaysian film actor, director, singer, and songwriter. Due to his contributions in the movie and music industry, as well as in the literary scene, he is often attributed as the icon of Malay entertainment in both Malaysia, Singapore as well as in Sumatra, Indonesia (especially in Acheh due to his ancestry).

Ramlee was born Teuku Zakaria bin Teuku Nyak Puteh to Teuku Nyak Puteh bin Teuku Karim and Che' Mah Hussein at his grandmother's house (now opened as P. Ramlee House) in Counter Hall (now renamed as Jalan P. Ramlee), Penang, Malaysia. His father Teuku Nyak Puteh was a sailor from Lhokseumawe in the province of Aceh, Indonesia.

As a child, he studied in several schools, including the famous Penang Free School. During his school days he was very active in sports, especially sepak takraw, badminton, and football.

P.Ramlee's big break came on 1 June 1948 when he was spotted by Tamil film director B. S. Rajhans. The director was impressed by Ramlee, and in 1949 he was cast in the film Nasib (Fate). Seven years later, Ramlee directed his first film Penarik Becha (The Trishaw Man). In 1957, Ramlee would act in the first of his Bujang Lapok (Dowdy Bachelors) comedic films that he acted along S. Shamsuddin along with Aziz Sattar, which are still popular among the modern Malay film watchers.

On 29 May 1973 P. Ramlee died at the age of 44 due to heart problems and was buried in Jalan Ampang Muslim Cemetery, Kuala Lumpur. In 1986, in honour of his contributions to the Malaysian entertainment industry, the P. Ramlee Memorial was set up in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur. In 1982, Jalan Parry in the KL city centre has been renamed Jalan P. Ramlee in his honor. He was posthumously awarded with the Malaysian honorific title Tan Sri in the early 1990s. Recently, he was also posthumously awarded the honorific title of 'Datuk Amar' by Sarawak State Government. Upon the conferment of the award, the Chief Minister of Sarawak, Pehin Sri Dr. Hj Abdul Taib Mahmud, who is an avid fan of P. Ramlee, later presented the award to his daughter, Dian P. Ramlee in a ceremony honoring veteran artistes in Kuching.