Malaysia's National Anthem

Malaysia, tighten your seat belts please.

We know that the ringgit is down in the dumps - that puts paid to shopping for imported foodstuff and prezzies for the coming festivities.  Our little darlings -  Kevin, Suu Lin, Farhana Faezah, Arul Armand will pout and scream because overseas holidays will have to be put on hold.

Right now, the nation's name and reputation is mud!

We're all at each other's throats claiming moral superiority for our divided loyalties and our choice of heroes and  villains.

Well, here's something else to worry about.  Did you know that the arch-English composer Benjamin Britten was paid a handsome fee (for a 1-minute song) to compose our National Anthem in 1957 and our then leaders. rejected it !!

"The great English composer Benjamin Britten once wrote Malaysia a national anthem - only for it to be rejected in favour of a cabaret tune.  Did the government make a horrible mistake, asks Alex Marshall, author of a new book on the history of anthems."

For more titillations to feed another fracas in Malaysia, read :

http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34417765

I shudder to think about the disgruntled voices arising from this news item.

1. Our aficionados of classical western music would be wringing their hands in despair. This only proves how crass and stupid the Government was - to reject this great British composer. Just think - how proud we would feel when our national anthem - composed by the Benjamin Britten - is played at our local and international soirees.

2.  100 guineas?? This is corrupt cronyism. The Government must get back their money with interest - it's been 58 years.  Check the bank accounts of the politicians , the bureaucrats and the Minister of National Anthems.

3.  Our uber-Arabised brethren will be foaming at the mouth when they realise that Negaraku was once a hit number  "at parties and cabarets  ..... and went on to be a popular Hawaian song".

Do read the BBC article.  It cheered me up no end.

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And now do enjoy the Top of the Anthems.




1. Britten's 100 guineas composition. That's 2100 shillings or GBP105 in 1957.  That would be a helluva dosh today. And when you take into account that the exchange rate is 1 GBP = 6.7 MYR  !!???

2.  The ancestor of Negaraku - not a great pedigree - but still a "gently stirring"  and endearing melody.

Showing Off (CsH)

Rummaging through my boxes of junk, I found this notebook which had in it a list of my collection of 78rpm vinyls or records as we used to call them. The 78s were the prototype before the 33rpm and the 45rpm vinyls. I recalled the 78s from the 50s and I got hooked ever since I found a stack of them piled up in a Chinese stationery shop in Bandar Seri Begawan in 1978. The apek was happy to get rid of them at $2 each and I bought all he had! Among that harvest were songs by P. Ramlee, Saloma or Salmah Ismail as she was initially known, Nona Asiah , R. Azmi, Aman Ballon and a host of other treasures.

When I visited my brother Mus in Hull in 1981 I went crazy looking for 78s in English and there were lots to be found in various record shops in Hull and Leicester. Together with the spouse I extended my treasure hunting for Malay songs in Singapore (especially Arab Street), Penang and umpteen other shops in umpteen towns in Malaya. The best ones we found in an Indian Muslim kedai runcit (sundry shop) at Kuala Kangsar.

All in all I have 78s of 24 lady singers and 20 male singers - my absolute pride and joy! The problem with 78s is - most phonographs and hifi sets have speeds of 33 and 45 rpm. only. Fortunately in Leicester, second hand players were relatively easy to get especially from the Charity Shops or at the Car Boot sale. That was about 15 years ago. Now you can't buy them ( at the price you're prepared to pay) - for love or money!

Again I'm gloating because I have in my treasure chest 4 such machines and they're all safe in KL. The next stage is for me to learn the know-how - to transfer (and preserve) these songs to CDs. A few months ago I did something daring for a 65 year old mak ngah - when I experimented with taking a movie from my camera. The above is the fruit of my experiment, not quite brilliant but it will have to do for the time being. It left my arms aching because I had no tripod, but I'm quite proud of my handiwork. When we get back to KL I shall endeavour to improve my technique and technology and share some of my favourites on this blog.

The song 'Malaya Merdeka' was sung by Zaharah Agus. It was recorded on the Pathe Label. The blurb on the record says ' March (the type of beat that is) susunan D. Abell dengan A.Jaafar Orchestra'. 'Pulau Aman' is on the flip side - 'Pelahan dengan A. Jaafar Orchestra'. 'Malaya Merdeka' was a popular song - obviously before 1957. What is special to me is the word 'Malaya'. It's a shame that this name for my homeland has been expunged. If the names of Sabah and Sarawak are in use, why not Malaya?