2003 / 4

From: Shaik Asgar b. Shaik Ibrahim
To: Fans of P Ramlee
Sent: 22 December, 2003
Subject: Defining P Ramlee

Your text is immensely powerful. I saw the evening news on TV in which the Minister for Culture and Tourism Kadir Sheikh Fazir spoke about P Ramlee which will annihilate all negative criticisms about Allahyarham. The government will be working together with an appointed lawyer to get royalties on songs of Allahyarham paid to his children. For a start, RM20,000.00 was made out in a mock cheque presented to his son Sazali while an undisclosed amount was paid out to the elder son Nasir. This is a relief because sadly, none of his children had inherited anything worthwhile. Nasir is not doing that well in life and so is Sazali who works as a garbage collector in Selangor according to a newspaper report sometime ago. I wonder what Sabarudin and Zsa Zsa Loma are doing. The last I heared of the latter is that she was working in a shoe store. I hope the recent critic in The Straits Times had watched and listened to the minister who said that P Ramlee was an extraordinary person ( insan luar biasa) and a national showman ( seniman negara ) whose abilities cannot be challenged until today. If a someone respectable like a senior minister can acknowledge that, why must we bother about an upstart who says that P Ramlee should be forgotten? If there are apparels bearing the names of James Dean who died decades ago available widely today and expensive cigars under the brand name of Churchill who died in 1965 and whose policies have been forgotten by Great Britain today are being sold, why should we forget P Ramlee. I hope "kain songket" manufacturers should start having a brandname of P Ramlee and I am sure it would be a hit. P Ramlee wore songket tying it up at the waist in such a fashionable style still emulated today ( with the hibiscus knot ) and wife Saloma sang the song "Kain Songket" so beautifully well.

Regards - Shaik Asgar b. Shaik Ibrahim

Zaedi Zolkafli wrote:

>Greetings,
>So obnoxious! The article on P Ramlee by former chief editor of a major propaganda paper. About time local mainstream commentators try to be a bit honest before sharing their irrelevant views. Making extra out of garbage.

< deleted >

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From: Zaedi Zolkafli
To: Sue
Sent: 21 December, 2003
Subject: Labu dan Labi

Hi Sue,
Awak bertanya P Ramlee's 'Labu Dan Labi' (1962)? Watak 'Labu' di lakon oleh M Zain manakala pasangan nya 'Labi' oleh P Ramlee.

sue_tiff wrote:

>Beri info siapa yang memegang sebagai labu

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From: Zaedi Zolkafli
To: Fans of P Ramlee
Sent: 21 December, 2003
Subject: Defining P Ramlee

Greetings,
So obnoxious! The article on P Ramlee by former chief editor of a major propaganda paper. About time local mainstream commentators try to be a bit honest before sharing their irrelevant views. Making extra out of garbage.

Any self proclaimed farmer would know that good fruits grow on healthy trees. One has to nurture the seedlings, give water, add fertilizer, what have you. Similarly, award winning films don't fall from the sky. These successful products are combination of dedication, discipline, honesty, team work and serba boleh. Why such exemplary work ethics of P Ramlee be forgotten? Especially for the present day local not-so-talents.

What's the fuss about Indian influences in local films? The Malays already integrated Indian culture in social, economic and politics ever since Parameswara captured Malacca. Without help from Indian film directors and Chinese producers there won't be >the golden era> of Malay films. They provided training and opportunities for pioneering Malay directors like Haji Mahadi, P Ramlee, M Amin etc. That was 'transfer of technology'.

It is well known that P Ramlee was influenced (read: inspired) by Akira Kurosawa. He captured this so well in the second film he directed, 'Semerah Padi' (1956). Still, that was truly Malay/Moslem storytelling. A departure from Indian influences in his previous films as an actor. But one must not expect the other 33 films that he directed to have Kurosawa signature. Point is, P Ramlee is an artiste in his own right. He is on par amongst great filmmakers from Asia. Someone who >writes extensively on film> would surely know.

To lump all P Ramlee works into a handful of all time Malay favorites is rather simplistic. Certainly his 66 films (besides story sequels) offered many a variety. Some of the themes were more complex than current offerings. A few examples, 'Semerah Padi' (1956): hudud laws, Sergeant Hassan (1958): patriotism, 'Antara Dua Darjat' (1960): feudalism, and Gerimis (1968): racial harmony. Even his popular comedy dramas carried criticisms on our social maladies. The Malays are not living in a perfect world, after all.

Nothing wrong making >social films> about >little people as hero>. Film audience the world over want to see a protagonist whom they could relate to. Motion picture is one cheapest form of escaped for the poor masses. How many Tuns, Tan Sris/Puan Sris and Datuks/Datins ever been to local cinemas other than invited for a film premier? Frankly, the Malays are getting tired watching countless documentaries about retiring godly national personalities. It does more harm than P Ramlee's films.

What has P Ramlee got to do with the New Economic Policy? The man didn't take a single sen from the Government. BTW, the NEP has failed miserably and since replaced by National Development Policy. Why make a scapegoat out of a dead man who had given so much to his society? Blame the ordinary citizens for all problems in this country. Sounds familiar?

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Point Blank: Forget P Ramlee, he's the man from the past
by Johan Jaaffar

P RAMLEE was ... < deleted >

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From: Suzannah Shafiee
To: Fans of P Ramlee
Sent: 17 December, 2003
Subject: Point Blank: Forget P Ramlee, he's the man from the past

Though he is a man of the past but please remember that because of HE is the man of the past that we have dreams n goals to be like him the man in the past as stated.

A man of the past has brought great contributions. Because of him we have a terrific history of Malay film industry.

Please send a message to the writer to learn how to appreciate the past before he can learn the future cos I don't think he will be able to cope with the future if he does not know how to appreciate something from the past.

Regards

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Point Blank: Forget P Ramlee, he's the man from the past
by Johan Jaaffar

P RAMLEE was ... < deleted >

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From: Shaik Asgar b. Shaik Ibrahim
To: Fans of P Ramlee
Sent: 17 December, 2003
Subject: Point Blank: Forget P Ramlee, he's the man from the past

Thanks. I think we might as well ignore this opinion which to me is a heap of garbage! The entire nation had seen a quarter of a century ( 1948 - 1973 ) of fine work done by P Ramlee and he was also the most versatile and charismatic showman in Asia unsurpassed till this very day. Some people like the critic want to earn popularity not knowing that they do not deserve it.

Best regards
Shaik Asgar b. Shaik Ibrahim

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Point Blank: Forget P Ramlee, he's the man from the past
by Johan Jaaffar

P RAMLEE was ... < deleted >

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From: Zaedi Zolkafli
To: Fans of P Ramlee
Sent: 16 December, 2003
Subject: Point Blank: Forget P Ramlee, he's the man from the past

Greetings,
A notorious article on P Ramlee in Saturday edition of Malaysia's New Straits Times (see below) . I beg to differ with the writer's irrelevant analysis. Comments from fans welcome!

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Point Blank: Forget P Ramlee, he's the man from the past
by Johan Jaaffar

P RAMLEE was probably the most talented artist in Malay history. He was no doubt incredibly gifted. He has always been looked upon as the greatest mind in Malay entertainment. He was responsible for some of the most memorable Malay films and some of the best remembered songs. So, I am not at all surprised P Ramlee is "revisited" from time to time. Countless seminars have been organised to discuss his legacy. And the man.

The latest one organised by Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) was no exception. "Experts" on P Ramlee were invited from all over the globe. And there are many of them around. Old friends were flown in to regale the audience with their close encounters with P Ramlee. Predictably, they narrated the same old stories, told the same jokes, even cried at the same touching moments.

Sadly, the local film industry is not better off than when he was directing and acting in movies like 'Penarek Becha', 'Ibu Mertua Ku', 'Antara Dua Darjat', 'Semerah Padi', 'Labu Labi' or 'Bujang Lapok'.

In fact, "the golden era" of Malay movies has long gone. I even wonder if we have a decent film industry. Currently, we produce hardly 10 movies a year. Forget about the quality of these films. The "best film" award last year went to a film that truly insults one's intelligence.

True, P Ramlee was great. But he was not without flaws. He did not instil the right and positive values in many of his movies. You cannot blame him for that. He was the product of his time. And we should look at him as such.

At a time when the Malays were largely poor and backward, P Ramlee was their Great Brown Hope. He created a credible world of "little people" facing insurmountable odds. Normally they prevailed, but sometimes they became victims of the notorious Haji Bakhil, scheming mother-in-law, materialistic parents and opportunistic siblings.

The Malays could largely identify themselves with characters like the trishaw-puller in 'Penarek Becha', the musician in 'Ibu Mertua Ku' and the driver and the cook in 'Labu Labi' (sic). They had nothing else to look for. Hope was their only salvation. P Ramlee gave them hope and, more importantly, self-respect.

One must remember that P Ramlee was "discovered" by B S Rajhans, one of the many Indian directors brought to Singapore to direct Malay films. He made his acting debut in 'Chinta' in 1948.

Indian films have been thoroughly antiestablishment. Early Indian directors like P C Barua, Nitin Bose and V Shantaram were crusaders against the rich and the successful. Films like Devdas, President and Aadmi have been labelled "social films", not without reason.

Indian directors like Rajhans, S Ramanathan, K M Basker, B N Rao, L Krishnan and K.R.S. Shastry brought the formula of the these social films. P Ramlee acted in 23 films under these directors before he was given the chance to direct his own, 'Penarek Becha' in 1955.

Some believed that he was influenced by the great Japanese director, Akira Kurosawa or the legendary Indian filmmaker, Satyajit Ray. I beg to differ. He was much influenced by the run-of-the mill escapist fare from India.

His movies conjure an image that the poor are always right, the rich are bad and to be condemned. His "little people as hero" has been he theme of almost all his movies. If one were to "appropriate" Dr Shahruddin Maaruf's concept of a Malay "hero" in P Ramlee movies, one would find them in the form of drifters, losers, cynics, even con men.

For too long, Malays have lived with P Ramlee's movies. The Malay mind has been corrupted by values that are neither positive nor appropriate to prepare them to face the world.

If one tries to understand the Malay psyche as a product of accumulated conscious and unconscious experiences, Malay movies have a part in determining it. Sadly, the Malay mind has been influenced by too many negative elements portrayed in Malay movies.

The New Economic Policy (NEP) is remembered for many things except for its shortcomings. We all know NEP was supposed to jump-start the Malays in business. To do so, there must be a seachange in attitude. The Malays were businessmen during the great empires of Seriwijaya, Samudra, Pasai and Malacca.

But for more than 400 years, the Malays not only lost their independence, but also their pride and self-esteem. NEP did change the Malays, at least materially. But the Malay mind is something else. Malays may be reasonably educated, but many still live in the make-believe world of the grand era of Malay movies. I urge the Malays to forget P Ramlee. We must forge ahead to face the new brave and unpredictable world.

We cannot relive the past. We cannot live in the world of Kassim Selamat, Aduka, Pak Belalang, Labu Labi and Sabariah. We have to move on. Remember, P Ramlee is the man of the past.

* The writer, a farmer, writes extensively on films. He can be contacted at [email protected]