2006 / 2

From: Zaedi Zolkafli
To: Buddy Loren
Sent: 17 October, 2006
Subject: P Ramlee's top three 'joget' songs?

Hi Buddy,
For most ordinary people, 'joget' includes a variety of song genre such as Malay 'tradisional', 'tari', 'asli', 'inang', 'joget', 'zapin' and 'ghazal'. There are many good ones, but my pick for P Ramlee's top three 'joget' songs are:

1. 'Joget Tari Lenggang (Joget Pahang)' from 'Hang Tuah' / 'Legend of Hang Tuah' (1956). P Ramlee won 'Best Music' award at the 3rd Asian Film Festival, Hong Kong for 'Hang Tuah' in 1956.
2. 'Inang Baru' from 'Penarek Becha' / 'Trishaw Man' (1955). It was voted 'Best Song' by the Utusan Film and Sport Magazine in 1956.
3. 'Tudong Periok' from 'Sumpah Orang Minyak' / 'Curse Of The Oily Man' (1958). Sung by P Ramlee and Saloma.

Harris Anwar and someone in the list may have different suggestions.

Buddy Loren wrote:

>the more I research, the more I see and hear the wonderful legendary Malaysian artist Tan Sri P. Ramlee the more I am impressed and amazed at his outstanding and remarkable talent and versatility.
> A great talent like P.Ramlee comes along once in a lifetime he is one of a kind..truly irreplaceable.
>I am currently interested in His joget songs....can someone out there in P Ramlee fan club land let me know what P. Ramlee's top three joget songs are?
>
>Buddy Loren

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From: Shaiful Azuar
To: Fans of P Ramlee
Sent: 13 October, 2006
Subject: Sabarudin Tukang Kasut (1966)

Thank you for the informative writing. I would never have known about these facts. (Mostly, younger 30+ something generation, like me only knows what is seen on tv and don't actually know what happen during p ramlee's era).

Your effort and website has offered to bridge that gap.

tq again.

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From: Villeo Soon
To: Fans of P Ramlee
Sent: 8 October, 2006
Subject: Sabarudin Tukang Kasut (1966)

Thanks for the rather interesting article on P.Ramlee's film. It is amazing that certain contents of his film is banned/censored or even arrange for public viewing. Goodness! Those films were made in the 60's.

It would be a shame if the original prints of his films are [not] kept and remastered to digital format for prosperity and released in pristine condition on DVD.

I have some copies of P Ramlee films on VCD and it is not the best in terms of audio and video condition.

Thank you again for the info.

Regards
Villeo Soon

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From: Zaedi Zolkafli
To: Fans of P Ramlee
Sent: 8 October, 2006
Subject: Sabarudin Tukang Kasut (1966)

Hi Halda,
I suppose chances to see the removed scenes are minimal. But we have to let the 'powers that be' know of the censorship on P Ramlee films.

Halda wrote in Fans of P Ramlee:

>Now, what are the chances for us to watch the original 'Ali Baba Bujang Lapok' with the scene u've just mentioned? And the rest of the removed scenes as well ?
>
>regards
>
>halda

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From: Mohd Hatta Mahmood
To: Fans of P Ramlee
Sent: 8 October, 2006
Subject: Sabarudin Tukang Kasut (1966)

I strongly agree to Harris statement and on top of that, the old malay movies if any now is being sold in VCD format and we know very well that this format will soon be obsolete just like LDs and will be replaced by DVDs and God knows what else in the years to come. Why isn't anyone out there who has the power and money in this business produce them in DVD format. Do we have to wait and see the current movies turned into poor quality and only then re-issued for sale into the market when the original movie tape has turned rotten and shaky with poor audio and video quality. How I wish all the malay movies of the yesteryears during the Jalan Ampas and Cathay Keris are in DVD format especially by P Ramlee and other movie stars. Regards, Hatta

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From: Zaedi Zolkafli
To: Shaiful Azuar
Sent: 7 October, 2006
Subject: Sabarudin Tukang Kasut (1966)

Hi Shaiful Azuar,
RTM station used to show 'Sabarudin Tukang Kasut' / 'Sabarudin The Cobbler' (1966) long time ago. Maybe you or someone in the list can describe what parts of story that were cut in the VCD version. Surprisingly in this computer age, the people who transferred the film into video could not done it properly. Whatever the reason, is this not destruction of a work of art?

In fact, many P Ramlee's films hardly or never shown on local TV stations. We get reruns of so-called "P Ramlee favorites" that don't make up half of his 66 films. Some P Ramlee titles are also not available in the market. The films we buy on "original" VCD generally of poor audio and picture quality. Not a single film sold in DVD format. Such sorry state of P Ramlee content at present.

We all (especially younger generation) are not able to watch many original creations of P Ramlee. There seems to be systematic conspiracy to ban his films. Courtesy of the powers that be in film censorship board, religious authority and TV stations. Film censorship ala Malaysia is tough on religious sensitivity and social morals. This subjective matter is usually decided by government pensioners appointed to censorship board who are "doing work" so that their contracts are renewed. They are joined by people with the least religious credentials (what more to issue a fatwa) but want to "play safe". Our TV stations decide arbitrary which films of P Ramlee as "not suitable" for Malay audience.

First film of P Ramlee banned was 'Ali Baba Bujang Lapok' / 'Ali Baba In Burlesque' (1961). Earlier version had bujang lapok (Ramlee, Sudin and Aziz) fallen asleep. The trio dreamt of Ali Baba and the forty thieves. They woke up to realize that everything just a dream. Apparently, the authorities felt dialogue not funny but gruesome. Can anyone imagine of a joke so violent than action keris (knife) stabbing in hundreds other classic Malay films? We now have a film title that is peculiar minus the opening and final scenes. But hopefully Shaw Organization could one day re-release the original story to commemorate P Ramlee anniversary.

We are prohibited from watching a whole second part of 'Ragam P Ramlee' (1965). This segment called 'Minta Nombor Ekor' / 'Pray for Four Digits' has disappeared forever. Could be our strictly Islamic country won't admit empat nombor ekor (four digits lottery) is a favorite pastime. P Ramlee made a joke about Malaysians from all races like visiting old cemetery to pray for lucky numbers. Can't make fun of ourselves can we?

'Sitora Harimau Jadian' / 'The Tiger Man' (1964) must be collecting dust on the shelf in some place. Even P Ramlee's first film made at Studio Merdeka after leaving Jalan Ampas has no historical value. We are forced to watch the American Werewolf sequels on local TV instead. Never mind 'made in Hong Kong' flying ghost story on the weekend night slot. I suppose that P Ramlee's tigerman creature is too scary for Malaysian kids. Their good parents better buy latest Thai's horror at pasar malam (night market) for the whole family.

Most controversial P Ramlee's film is 'Dr Rushdi' (1970) . A beautiful thriller with that usual Hollywood stuff - adultery, deceit, con artist, murder and conflict. There is little chance for this great work be shown on local TV because of the sex scenes. Even if its credit titles included three top Malay filmmakers - P Ramlee (Director/Screenplay), Omar Rojik (Original Story) and Jamil Sulong (Dialogue). Arguably P Ramlee at his peak, physically fit and brilliant. Dr Rushdi is a classic that could be easily translated into English, Chinese and other foreign languages.

P Ramlee attempted to make a film based on Islam and teachings of Koran. Pre-production and poster for a film called 'Hidayah' already completed in 1961. However, shooting was postponed awaiting advice from Johor Religious Department. But certain issues in the script were never resolved long before he died in 1973. Imagine P Ramlee allowed to make one more religious theme. Maybe better than his 'Semerah Padi' (1956).

One local TV station scissored parts of 'Ibu Mertua Ku' / 'My Mother In-Law' (1962) for short of time. There is no esthetic value but commercial. Even foreign filmmakers are better treated than P Ramlee in his native country. Most unfortunate, works of our supreme artist are being erased from public gallery. 'Azizah' - the song that made him a star - is politicized now missing from radio. Different censorship, to name a few. Give the people choices of P Ramlee. One solution is having cinema rating ("G", "PG", "R", etc.) for P Ramlee films. Some can be shown late at night when kids sleeping. How to become a great nation if we censorship our greatest artist?

Shaiful Azuar wrote:

>Sudah jumpa semalam. Cerita menarik tetapi sayang, gambar & audionya agak kurang jelas, ada beberapa bahagian dalam ceritanya yg tergantung??. Mungkin sebab ini cerita ini jarang ditayang di tv (ada sejarahnya ??). anyway I really enjoyed the film and tq again.
>
>Lagi satu cerita yg menarik minat saya ialah 'Sitora Harimau Jadian'. from your website & internet, saya difahamkam cerita ini diharamkan kerana mengandungi unsur tahyul berlebihan. any chance to find the copy anywhere ?? and any info bila filem ini diharamkan??
>
>TQ.
>
>azuar