Sunday, October 31, 2010

P. RAMLEE - THE DEFINITIVE DOCU?

There is a documentary being hawked on TV as the definitive version on the great late Tan Sri P. Ramlee. I have seen it. However, I feel that this version, eventhough the filmmakers said it is well researched and took years in the making, is not definitive.
I have the privilege of knowing Uncle Ramlee during my younger years and had the wonderful good luck to know Mama (Saloma). So I guess I have a right to make a little bit of noise about it.
My parents were very close to the late P. Ramlee.
How close? Very close. There are stories about P. Ramlee that they have told me that I would not even share with the public. Why? Because P.Ramlee the man has become P.Ramlee the perfect icon. The man whose memory must not be tarnished.
The sad thing is that the man died in tragic and sad circumstances. And it is still incomprehensible that he died young - at 44 years of age. Compare that to Micheal Jackson who died at 50.
Looking at his last few films, you would have not believed that Ramlee was 44 years old. He looked older. That's how depressed and sad he was during his final years.
I think I have mentioned in one of my earlier postings how he struggled to make ends meet during his final years. He was unwanted, he was criticised, he was condemned and he was discarded by the public. The same public that hold him in high esteem today.
His last few films were not really good because he was a depressed person . He was unhappy with his lot in life. He wasn't rich. Heck, he was broke. He even borrowed from his closest friends when he needed money and gave them some of his personal items as collateral.
There were even people in RTM who didn't like him. Some even hated him. A few who were jealous of his talent, thought that they were better than him and did their best to make life difficult for him to get gigs on TV.
He tried to become a film producer and met a few investors who were interested in helping him out. But unfortunately he passed away before his dream to be a film producer was realised.
The foundation that he had laid for himself was conveniently taken over by someone he had not trusted in his life and someone who had gone on to become rich and powerful. I will not mention who this person is.
The funny thing is that since he died, many people are trying to make money off him.
Making re-recordings of his songs, making documentaries and books about him, and making movies about him, holding singing contests and many other events.
Imagine what he could have done with this money. He could have been happier and still be alive.
And those whom I personally know hated him are suddenly calling him guru lah, mentor lah, lover lah, friend lah and many other labels. If he was still alive, he would have told them off.
The truth it, Ramlee was a very private man. He had few friends. So too his wife Saloma. They had friends - close friends. Amongst them were my father, my mother and Dato Aziz Sattar. People that he was really close to. People that he trusted.
Even Saloma's relatives who claim to be close to him were really not. Heck, they weren't even close to her.
One person I believe has made a lot of money claiming to be an authority on P.Ramlee and Jalan Ampas when he was just a former tutor to one of his sons.
Memories and events get mutilated and changed to fit somebody's personal agenda.
Imagine the sadness I felt when I recently heard of a screenplay for a bio-pic of Saloma that was proposed to a TV station here, that created a fictional scene regarding her final hours.
If the writer had done his or her research, he would have known who was by Saloma's side when Saloma breathed her last.
In actual fact, there was only two persons there. My mother and I. No one else was there.
You want to know how I felt when I saw her during those last minutes of her life? Truly sad. She was unrecognisable in her death bed. Her body was frail and skeletal and her skin yellowish. Her hair gone. It was a sad sight, sadder still that only her best friend was by her side when she breathed her last.
I was standing in the doorway to her room allowing my mother final privacy with her best friend.
It's facts like this that get distorted that irks me.
So when I heard that Datuk Paduka Shuhaimi Baba had completed a so-called definitive movie about Ramlee I asked my parents if she had interviewed both of them. They said no.
Strange especially when my father was Ramlee's closest friend and colleague since the first day he stepped onto the Jalan Ampas studio lot. Strange especially when my mother acted with Ramlee in the movie Ibu and many more after that and became best friends with his wife Saloma.
Imagine my father, who co-wrote many of Ramlee's songs, was not interviewed for the documentary. Don't you want to know how Ramlee wrote his songs? Don't you want to know the mystery of the song Azizah? Strange isn't it?
Maybe, Shuhaimi felt her documentary was already strong enough without having to interview my parents.
Which is fine, but why then interview people who weren't really close to him?
To even read about someone who was in the documentary who claimed to have won a beauty contest and caught the eye of Ramlee and became lovers with him and then sacrificed her love to allow Saloma to love Ramlee nearly made me puke.
Beauty contest? Big deal. In the 50s and 60s, there were beauty contests galore in every nightclub on every weekend. In fact, the one I believe this person took part was one that was held in Johor Bahru and was won by another actress by the name of Salmah Ahmad. So much for being a beauty queen.
The only person who caught Ramlee's eyes and who he wanted to make his leading lady in life and on the screen was Saloma. No one else.
In fact it was Saloma that was not interested in acting. She was a singer not an actress and she knew that. But because Ramlee wanted her to act, she did. If you watch the movies Saloma was in, you can see that she was uncomfortable in her roles.
This story sounds familiar doesn't it? It was as if someone stole this story to fit hers.
How many realise that Ramlee actually only received one Federal Award - the Ahli Mangku Negara when he was alive?
This award, which is now conferred to hundreds of Malaysians over the years, was a big thing in the industry when Ramlee received it. It was as if he had been accorded a Datukship. That was how big the AMN was in those days.
When he came back, his close friends organised a big welcome home party for him. Many who claimed to be his friends today were not there to congratulate him including this fictional lover of his.
Ramlee's life was truly colorful, especially in the sense that he had many people who can't wait to see his downfall. That's why he trusted only a few.
I do hope Dato Aziz Sattar completes his biography soon and writes truthfully about who P.Ramlee was and who stabbed Ramlee in the back and who were his true friends.
In my father's autobiography, Wawasan and Warisan, he actually pulled his punches when writing about his friends, but if you read between the lines, you know what my father wanted to say about Jalan Ampas and the politics of working in Malay Film Studios.
My mother has also started writing her own biography and I hope she too would give the world a glimpse of who P. Ramlee was via her close friendship with the late Saloma.
So imagine if a documentary about P. Ramlee is not done right, what injustice would be done to the man when a movie about him be produced.
Fiction.

40 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi! I've watched the documentary and I think it has integrity. Why? Because for the first time, fans were given a rare insight into what happened to P Ramlee during his darkest hours, which could have led him to his death. I was reduced to tears after watching this documentary.

Let's be fair to Ms Shuhaimi as she managed to capture the essence of P Ramlee's life - his joys and sorrows - all in 90 mins. Due to possible litigation, she could not blatantly named those who had betrayed the man but somehow I can guess who that person is after watching this documentary.

If you think there are gaps, maybe you could approach the director with your findings. Frankly, give this documentary a chance, ya? ~ Ms J, Singapore

Pet Shop Boys said...

Good read.

Anonymous said...

if ur family really2 know P.Ramlee or Saloma, pls do ur own documentary. I love to watch any documentary about P.Ramlee..

anwardi said...

Dear Anonymous,
Yes my family really knew who P.Ramlee was. My father wrote about P.Ramlee in his autobiography. I write about my knowledge about the golden years of Jalan Ampas through my blog. What I am saying is that given the time the producer of the documentary and given the funds that they had, they could have produced a more detailed account of his life - his success and his downfall. There were many other people in his life that could contribute to a better picture of the man. I think Mr Kwek was an excellent inclusion into who the man was during his days in Jalan Ampas. I was also a bit disturbed that there were harsh words or innuendo made against Jaafar Abdullah who was the PR and Admin executive during the last years of MFP. The story of P. Ramlee's departure from Jalan Ampas to Merdeka wasn't fully exposed. One has to know about the politics that existed during the last years of Jalan Ampas and the role the union played. Find out who the President of Persama was at that time. Find out who orchestrated P. Ramlee's fall and departure from Singapore. It was implied but people should know how P. Ramlee was prevented from producing his first colour movie through PERFIMA. The documentary did to its credit show that P. Ramlee was victimised left right and center, not only by people who could have helped him in his career, but also by the public. Why was he vilified so? A genius who fell from grace during the height of his creative days. Why was it difficult for him to even get a regular gig on RTM? Why was the journalists of that time giving him a hard time? All these question begged to be answered. Yes it was a tragedy, but the tragedy is compounded by us wondering why we forgot the man and only after he died did all the accolades come pouring in. Heck, a road was named after him. While he died when he was 44 (which was already untimely) he was pushed aside when he was in his late thirties. This is the same age group that currently our own young directors are blooming - like Afdlin, Aziz M Osman, Kabir Bakhtiar, Shuhaimi Baba and the rest. What happened? And what went wrong?

RHM said...

Dear Mr Anwardi,

Thank you for the informative blog.

The director's good friendship with one of the 'subject' interviewed probably forced her to choose camp, by not approaching your parents.

You are right that there are many unanswered questions
- why the conspiracy to push P Ramlee aside
- why the union was formed among Malay workers, and Lee Kuan Yew's interference
- in the interview with Mr Kwek, he mentioned 'perempuan tak guna' which contributed to the P Ramlee's financial woes...I wonder who she might be


Anyway, both your comments and the documentary itself serve as a lesson for our future generation.

P/S : I would call him genius because my children as young as 4 years old could laugh to the dialogue of 3 bujang lapok...not many film can do that nowadays

sultanmuzaffar said...

Sangat jelas dan saya ingin sangat mengetahui kesudahan hidup P.Ramlee, baik melalui pembacaan atau pun dalam bentuk filem mahupun dokumentari. Harap saudara usahakan.

Anonymous said...

Salam.
En Anwardi, i do not know you personally. But from what i read, you sebenarnya FRUST sgt sbb the world could've known your family as the closest to P Ramlee but sorry, they didnt interview you. Sorry, ur mom & dad didnt appear in Channel 555. So sorry.
And u claimed yourself as a film maker? Why didnt you do the docu at the very first place?? Why complain now after it has been done? Since your family knows best, and your family are already in the industry, do it lah. Kenapa complain skrg?
Sebenarnya u frust sgt sbb tak dpt keluar channel 555, where the whole world could've known your family.
Sorry. Next time buat sendiri la ok?

Anonymous said...

Mr Anwardi, thank you for sharing the lil' bits n pieces of information about P Ramlee in your blog.

I agree with some of the comments here: You should try to get your story out and do your own documentary. :) - Ms J, Sg

Anonymous said...

Dear Anak Wayang/Anwardi,

1. You raised several questions regarding Jalan Ampas, Persama, PERFIMA, RTM & several other questions that I also asked myself after watching the documentary.

2. And as anonymous commented - it was about the essence of P.Ramlee's life & for me it was enough to appreciate his genius, understand his troubles, & realise that nothing much has changed in the local film industry - the media, its people & the green-eyed monsters that populate the industry.

3. And if you have differing experiences & your own story of P.Ramlee to tell, please do so, as I would like to know too.

4. ...I visited Pesona Pictures' FB & this is what they had to say about the documentary:

"Pesona Pictures are the makers of P.Ramlee documentary recently aired on History Channel (555). Keep watching the documentary. Have fun reading between the lines. Thats important. We welcome feedback from friends and friends of friends. FYI, this documentary has 5 hours of material and some people appear from the 3rd hour so they dont get to see themselves. The consultants for this documentary include Dato' Aziz Sattar, the late Nasir P.Ramlee, Ramli Kecik (PA) & Datuk Ahmad Nawab. This documentary would not have been possible without the permission and cooperation of the late Nasir P.Ramlee with an expressed understanding and agreement that certain personalities are not featured to respect the memory of his late father."

Salaam.
Bukan Anak Wayang.

Anonymous said...

saya rasakan doko ini telah dapat menyingkap kisah hidup P. Ramlee dengan sebaik mungkin. considering had waktu siaran dan mungkin tv stasiun History juga mempunyai guideline mereka sendiri tentang content dan sensorship, seperti juga stasiun2 lain.

If anything, ia telah membuka mata. dan membuka minda untuk mengetahui, menyoal, mengambil tahu, membentang pendapat. Great. And if tak puas hati, then carry that forward and improve with a better one. call it "The Defined Definitive Docu of P. Ramlee". You 'sound' like you're the man for the job.

p/s: hidup susah, mati pun susaah..
- mammo, kuantan

Anonymous said...

Mr. Anwardi, could you give us clues on the identity of those in the documentary who claimed to be his friends who actually were not? Besides that fictional lover, whose identity we all know.

Senyum said...

The director for the docu was the one who directed Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam for fuck sake! Of cos its gonna be rubbish! Datin Paduka? They're having a laugh.

Anonymous said...

Like many other readers of your blog, Mr Anwardi, do come up with your own "definitive documentary" auot P Ramlee's life. I've been a fan all my life. He's been dead for 37 years - why would you want to withhold names of protagonists, etc, in his life. It's time to come clean & share with us the full story as seen from your point of view!

Anonymous said...

To Anonymous No.2 - fr what i've read, u sebenarnye salah faham..En. Anwrdi bukan attention seeker or want the whole world to know tht his family were closest to PRamlee. Even more apalah sangat Ch555 tu? apa yg sy fhm die mahu tht director to get her fact right and she shud get more sources and do better research b4 producing tht documentary. Hope that Mr.Arwandi can come out with his own version of PRamlee's documentary.

bogon said...

En. Anwardi,

Thanks for diversifying the perspective of the documentary exhibited by Shuhaimi Baba. I agree on your point that Shuhaimi could have done better for this 90 mins documentary with all the fund that she had. Hopefully, there could be a continuation of Shuhaimi's effort in the future especially in revealing more pertaining the gap between moving from Jalan Ampas to Merdeka Studio as well as those Ramlees's hatred in RTM.

Anyway, is it possible to share what was your father autobiography?

Thanks for such an input.

fadz said...

Salam Pak Anwardi,

Saya secara jujur amat mengamati tulisan ini, terima kasih, ini memberi satu lapisan baharu atau lain terhadap rakaman "kebenaran" yang dibikin Suhaimi Baba. Secara terus-terang, saya begitu terusik dan dihantui dengan doku itu, ya ia sebegitu baik menyusun segala yang saya hendak tahu (dan mahu tahu lagi), dan saya anggap penulisan bapak memberi "tafsiran kedua" terhadap paparan itu, terima kasih.. Kedua-duanya bagus, dan reaksi sebeginilah, perbincangan beginilah yang merancakkan lagi dunia dan legenda P. Ramlee.

Anonymous said...

Long story short....

Ramlee died young only because he came back to Malaysia. If he had stayed on in Singapore and sang at weddings and did dramas in Singapore ...he would have survived till 90...and maybe even be a part of a greater Singapore Hollywood. He should have taken up Singapore citizenship.

The truth is, like local politics with sodomy, altantunya, etc etc etc....the local crowd here has a giant hang up about someone else being a genius and with their third class mentality they will go out of their way and finish him off early if they can...

In Singapore ...you cant do that...its market driven...if you are good...you are good....

In the end both Ramlee and Ampas died...sad...

Thank God Samsuddin didnt come back...otherwise he too would have died of depression early....When Rais visited him this year..Samsuddin would have thought to himself....at least in Singapore I have a roof over my head, rice in my house and perhaps money for my funeral...

Ramlee had none and everything was taken away from him. Malaysia didnt deserve him. God knew that and that's why he took him back early. No point giving a genius to a bunch of monkeys.

RIP Ramlee. Jasa mu tetap dikenang untuk beratus tahun lagi.

anwardi said...

Terimakasih kepada semua yang meninggalkan coretan dan komen dan juga kritikan. Dalam dunia filem, kita terima semua maupun kritikan ataupun pujian. Filmmaking is not a science, it's an art. Kepada semua yang mendesak saya menerbitkan sebuah doku berkenaan dengan P.Ramlee, saya susun jari minta maaf. Nukilan saya dalam blog ini mencukupi. Kalaupun saya ingin menerbitkan sebuah docu berkenaan dengan sejarah filem Melayu, saya lebih tertarik dengan sejarah filem Melayu dari aspek yang lebih luas. P. Ramlee merupakan insan filem yang cukup istimewa dan tiada tandingan. Tetapi dengan keghairahan kami mengenang budi Seniman Negara itu, maka kita mengenepikan pula sumbangan seniman-seniman lain yang perlu ditonjolkan - ini termasuk Hussein Hanif, Nordin Ahmad, Salleh Ghani, Sudarmaji, S. Kadarisman, A.R.Tompel, Mariam Menado, Sarimah, Latifah Omar dan ramai lagi. Kegemilangan filem Melayu 50an dan 60an mati bergitu sahaja, kenapa dan mengapa? Siapa dalang di Jalan Ampas yang mengapi-api majikan Malay Filem Productions hingga Shaw menjadi menyampah dan menutup studio itu? Kenapa P. Ramlee membawa diri ke Kuala Lumpur? Adakah benarkan Ho Ah Loke yang telah putus asa dengan industri filem Melayu sampai sanggup membuang negatif filem-filem klasik Cathay Keris ke dalam laut, terdesak mempelawa P. Ramlee ke Hulu Kelang? Siapakan pula anak watan yang cuba menghidupkan kembali filem tempatan setelah Merdeka Studios tutup? Bukan Jins Shamsuddin tetapi Deddy M Borhan bersama Dato Aziz Sattar. Pernah seorang berkata: Those who forget history are destined to repeat it. Ini begitu tepat dengan senario industri filem sekarang. Tanpa memahami dan mengenali sebab-sebab kejatuhan industri filem dua kali, adakah industri filem kita akan jatuh sekali lagi? Hal-hal ini paling menarik bagi saya. Kepada mereka yang pandai sangat tentang P.Ramlee, biarkanlah. Saya hanya sebagai seorang observer yang menyuarakan beberapa fakta yang mungkin tertinggal atau disalahgunakan. Itu saja. Saya tidak kata dokumentari itu tidak bagus tetapi tiada apa yang sempurna melainkan Al Quran.

Anonymous said...

Dear anonymous,

If u think that u're making a fair comparison between Sudin and Ramlee, why do u exclude Dato' Aziz then? :)

At first,i thought the channel 555 documentary would conclude it all (assuming 'documentary' is where all the 'true' facts revealed and verified)but thanks to En Anwardi, if these 'P Ramlee untold version' would go for exposure, i believe it would be an intriguing counter, well, at least for the fans...hmm..ish ish ish.. Ramlee,Ramlee..he never failed to amazed his fans,before and after...

seekthetruth said...

Mr.Long story short...

You are indirectly very racist..

Mr Anwardi;

Kalau saya lah ternampak kes bunuh depan mata saya, saya tak tunggu polis datang tanya saya.... saya akan cuba sedaya upaya saya secepat mungkin, ikhtiar sendiri cuba cerita kat polis dan menegakkan kebenaran, bagi semua org tahu..

hoqni said...

Sdr Anwardi,

And we look forward to your works! The truth regarding the greatest multi-talented entertainer in the world deserves to be known!

Anonymous said...

Please jangan kondem docu tersebut...at least all malaysian dah tahu sedikit sebanyak tentang p ramlee...

lelaki_ini_aje said...

Jangan salahkan Mariani… aduh…(update terkini)

Konsultan kami bagi dokumentari ini adalah Datuk Aziz Sattar, Arwah Nasir P Ramlee, Ramli Ismail - pembantu peribadi P Ramlee dan Datuk Ahmad Nawab. Selain itu rujukan dibuat kepada dokumen berkaitan, ahli akademik dan beberapa individu di Kuala Lumpur dan Singapura. Ramai yang kagum dengan Mariani . Ada juga yang bertanya tentang cerita Mariani.

Ingin kami nyatakan di sini bahawa bukan Mariani yang cari kami untuk bercerita. Kami yang cari dan pujuk dia. Yang menyuruh kami temu bual Mariani adalah Nasir sendiri dan Datuk Aziz Sattar. Mereka yang beritahu cerita Mariani kepada kami. Mariani hanya mengesahkan saja. Lagi pun Mariani dan Saloma adik-beradik, mereka yang lebih tahu hal keluarga mereka. Tidak adil membuat berbagai andaian dan tuduhan melulu terhadapnya. Jangan terpengaruh dengan kaki penghasut.

Sebenarnya banyak lagi isi rakaman sensitif yang kami simpan. Kami tidak mahu mengaibkan sesiapa. Kami sedar memang penyakit ‘cemburu, dendam, bunuh kerjaya orang lain’ antara orang industri, artis dan karyawan masih ada dari dulu hingga sekarang. Kalau tak belajar lagi dari dokumentari ‘P Ramlee’ ni, memang akan lingkup.

Jika ada yang tak menyokong kami- itu perkara biasa. Tapi jangan cuba hasut orang lain untuk mencemar usaha kami. Kami tahu tidak ramai yang sanggup berkorban untuk menerbitkan dokumentari ini sebaik mungkin berbanding bajetnya. Sebab itu ada orang yang mengaku mereka paling rapat dengan P Ramlee dan mengetahui berbagai rahsia, tidak akan menerbitkan dokumentari ini kerana mereka tidak jujur dan hanya tahu bercakap saja. Jika mereka ikhlas, sudah lama mereka buat dokumentari mengenai P Ramlee

(nota penuh sila rujuk di http://www.facebook.com/#!/notes/pesona-pictures-sdn-bhd/di-sebalik-tabirberkongsi-lagenda-insan-pintar-berbakat-luar-biasa-bernama-p-ram/458536808743)

lelaki_ini_aje said...

'buat baik berpada pada buat jahat kita rugi'. Mesti ramai lagi yang ada versi sendiri, P Ramee tu.. Semua orang ada hak , buat lah versi anda jangan air liur saja , nanti orang kata kau jealous cemburu sebab orang lain sanggup buat dulu. Kalau mak bapak kau dan kau yang mengaku kawan paling rapat P Ramlee, apsal kau tak buat cerita ni dulu ? Apsal sekarang kau sumpah seranah orang lain yang sanggup buat. Yang paling aku nyampah kenapa kau orang tak tolong P Ramlee saat dia betul betul down? Ni yang buat aku tak boleh tidur rupanya ada kawan paling rapat tapi tak tolong hero aku! Sah sah P Ramlee ni di keliling hipokrit.

...renung renungkan...selamat beramal...

Anonymous said...

(komentar dari cucu mariani ttg tulisan saudara...http://akusiremaja.blogspot.com utk membaca komentar yg penuh)...

tajuk - Anak wayang, kurang perhatian.


Sir, adakah kamu betul-betul berada di situasi itu? That his "fake lover" that really sacrifice her love for Saloma? I bet your Mom yang cerita semua benda ni. And she said, its a fake a story. You want to know why your mom would say that to you? Because Rosnani Jamil doesnt like Mariani Ismail very well.

At once, my grandmother tried to shake hand with your Mom, and then she push away my grandmother hand. Like why the hell is she trying to do? Kalau nenek saya jatuh, mati, macam mana?

And then masa Theater Seri Mersing, my grandmother supposed to be on stage because she played the real character of Seri Siantan, and suddenly your Mom were hugging her. Why must your mom being so hypocrite? And now, you're trying to tell the world, that Saloma relative wasnt closed enough with P.Ramlee? Just wondering, are you okay sir? Why are you so mad about this documentary?

Because Datuk Paduka Suhaimi Baba didnt interview your parents? The truth is, my grandmother told Suhaimi Baba before to invite Rosnani Jamil too interview this thingy, but she was busy. And why the hell is that you want to tell every one that Suhaimi Baba dont to interview her?

"The only person who caught Ramlee's eyes and who he wanted to make his leading lady in life and on the screen was Saloma. No one else."

P.Ramlee doesnt know that Saloma really love him. How come my grandmother sanggup tipu pasal benda ni? Its her own sister lah. You want to puke? Go to hell. Nobody cares about your life. Like seriously, sir. You should shame of yourself. Even Dato Aziz Satar cerita dekat orang lain, yang Mariani memang bercinta dengan P.Ramlee. So, whats up with you now?

When i was reading your blog, i was shocked. I was like;

"What is he trying to do?"

You claimed yourself as a director, film maker, why dont you make Documentary about P.Ramlee by yourself?

It will make you more satisfied, kan?
I sendiri dah tak tahu nak bilang apa. But the truth, will come.

Dunia kita boleh carik kesalahan orang, tapi akhirat tu selamanya.
Suatu hari nanti, Allah akan buktikan perkara sebenar. InsyAllah.

It was your father, and mother who friend with P.Ramlee. Okay, i believe that. You? Okay, masa Saloma meninggal, yang ada di lokasi kejadian ialah;

Mariani Ismail.
Nasir P.Ramlee.
Dian P.Ramlee.
Siti Haslinda.
Datuk Mail.
Ibu.
Mali.
Dato Shaukat.
Amanti (Dian P.Ramlee husband)

Haha sir, you berani claimed you was there because ramai saksi yang betul-betul ada di tempat kejadian banyak yang dah telah meninggal dunia. Whatever make you happy ah, ya?


May Allah bless you and your family sir.

Jaga diri, jangan mati.

anwardi said...

Thank you all for your postings and comments. I've published all the comments made on this blog except one that called me a bastard and my mother a slut and a liar. Whatever makes your day.
Therefore before I close this debate that I caused from my posting, it is then agreed that I should not criticise (which I didn't as I was only saying it could have been made more informative but what do I know) the documentary made by Shuhaimi Baba. Noted. The documentary should be considered complete, definitive and perfect. My apologies to the filmmakers.
As for the personal attacks, well, rest assured than that I shall agree with all of you that the married P. Ramlee were lovers with that person whilst he was still with Norizan and that she then sacrificed that love for her sister. Noted. Whatever makes you guys proud.
As for me being there when Mama died....I first need to go to Straits Times and change the story I wrote about her death because I was there when she died. Its recorded, so I need to change that first. Let me check with NST if they can destroy that article I wrote on that sad day and then you can say who was there by her side when she died. But let me check if I can change history jap.
Anyway, this debate is now closed. Who would know that such a posting would be so heated. Did you guys notice that the debate was not on P.Ramlee himself? It was about someone else mostly. All I did was trying to poke the filmmakers so that they can once and for all tell the world why P. Ramlee fell from grace. Why blame my family for not helping Ramlee? Did you know if my family didn't help him? Where were his family yang sayangkan dia? Don't shoot the messengerlah.
Me? I am just an observer.
Thank you all for participating in this debate.

Anonymous said...

Yes, mr anwardi. Im with you. those people who reacted negatively about your comment is makan cili terasa pedas. dia rasa bersalah lah tu. I found mr anwardi writing is 100% honest as to compared to those others which sarcastically and annoyingly giving out statements and facts. Congrats mr anwardi. go to hell negative anonymous writer.

... ... ... ... ... ... nik elin said...

has cucu Mariani ever wondered why Saloma died in Assunta hospital. instead of somewhere near where she lived or where Mariani lived?

I think it was because Rosnani and Pak Jamil lived in PJ.

Anonymous said...

First time commentator here.

Anwardi I believe you and yes please make another docu telling Msians the truth abt P. Ramlee.

Looking forward to your version of events.

Obefiend Weiland said...

this is pretty riveting stuff

i think you should write a book about this and tell it as it is

history must not be whitewashed for the sake of jaga hati

i really want to know more about P ramlee after wacthing the docu. I sense a renewed interest on P Ramlee in the upcoming years.

may he rest in peace.

Anonymous said...

Yang benar tetap benar,salah tetap salah...perbetulkanlah benda2 yg tidak benar atau tidak tepat...Sesungguhnya Allah akan membela nasib mereka2 yg teraniaya...Nyatakanlah segala kebenaran;wp pahit.....demi tuk Arwah dan keluarganya dan kami peminat2 setia Allahyarham berhak mengetahui segala kebenaran...love n peace-MaMieza

Anonymous said...

wait 4 ur own doc about P.Ramlee..bdw,sy mmg tersentuh dgn documentary yg sedia ada oleh shuhaimi baba..

mmg lumrah dunia,bila dah tiada baru dikenang,masa susah kawan menghilang..

andai saja nasir masih hidup,mgkn dia boleh bg jawapan...

wallahualam..

One guy said...

The thing is, all of you suck big time, fighting over a legend. You all want glory from this.

Shame on you all. Why blogging, go straight to the media/public. No point whining and complaining. Sour.

Anonymous said...

Satu pandangan yang sangat baik.
Terima kasih Anwardi.
Sungguhpun saya turut di temuramah sebagai wartawan yang mengenali P. Ramlee tapi saya merasakan ada yang tidak kena.
Saya juga tertanya-tanya kenapa Jamil Sulong dan Rosnani tidak di temuramah.
Sedangkan mereka berdua sangat rapat dengan P. Ramlee.
Tahu dari A sampai Z tentang P. Ramlee.
Jins Shamsudin tu oklah kerana beliau menolak.
Apapun, apa yang dilakukan Shuhaimi Baba tu harus diberi penghargaan.
Cuma faktanya ada yang tidak tepat dan persembahannya pula kurang berkesan.
Saya merasakan, satu lagi dokumentari P. Ramlee harus diterbitkan yang lebih jitu dan padat.
Ini kerana P. Ramlee sudah jadi legenda yang sukar dicari ganti.
Oleh kerana Anwardi beribubapakan Jamil Sulong dan Rosnani patut benar beliau mengeluarkan satu lagi dokumenteri P. Ramlee.
Kali ini dari kaca mata Anwardi Jamil.
Ongkosnya, jangan bimbang tentu ramai yang mahu jadi penaja.

Srahsia said...

Mungkin dokumentari yang ditayangkan tidak definite atau kurang tepat. Tapi, itulah "history" yang sebenarnya. Maksud saya di sini, there's no definite facts when it comes to history sebab it's interpreted through different eyes. Even kalau kita mengeluarkan kata-kata, it's open to different interpretations. Yang ada cumalah fakta-fakta yang kita dapat lihat seperti gambar dan video dan itupun masih boleh dibahas.

Honestly, I cried when I watched that documentary. I cried for a man and his family yang seolah-olah tertindas dengan bangsa dia sendiri. Jika saya lahir pada zaman itu, saya akan rasa begitu bersalah. Namun begitu, apa yang berlaku pada P Ramlee, saya lihat masih berlaku pada zaman ini. Masih ramai orang yang dicerca, disekat periuk nasinya just because dia diminati. Sedihnya. Nobody learn anything from the past. That documentary made me want to know more about P Ramlee's life (which lead me to this blog) sebab I want to know the truth. Banyak pengajaran yang saya dapat just daripada kisah hidup dia dan ini tak termasuk pun isu-isu yang P Ramlee timbulkan dalam his movies and songs.

Srahsia said...

I love satu petikan dalam documentary tu yang bermula dengan P Ramlee tiada pendidikan formal tapi he's an excellent musican. When interviewed, he said something like kita kena isi jiwa anak muda dengan lagu dan muzik tradisional supaya muzik luar tak boleh pengaruhi mereka. Sama macam ajar agama. Penuhkan jiwa anak-anak kita supaya walau sejauh mana dia pergi, dia tak nak tukar agama. That's priceless. (Because in reality, what he doesn't want to happen for the younger generations... sudah dan sedang berlaku - so sad).

You might not want to make a documentary from your eyes just to prove a point but I hope, you can write more about what you know and share it with the readers. Saya khuatir jika satu hari nanti saudara dan family saudara sudah tiada, cerita-cerita ini akan terus terkubur dan tidak dapat memberi pengajaran kepada generasi baru. Terima kasih. Teruskan menulis kerana itulah sahaja rekod untuk masa hadapan.

Anonymous said...

Salam Anwardi,saya rase Ibu & Ayah anda banyak tahu tentang kehidupan dan peribadi P Ramlee,makanye mereka tak diinterview Mak Nani & Pak Jamil sebab takut nanti your parents yang dapat nama...bukan Paduka!LOL!

Fuad said...

"The foundation that he had laid for himself was conveniently taken over by someone he had not trusted in his life and someone who had gone on to become rich and powerful. I will not mention who this person is."

jins shamsuddin ke

sabariah mad dorm said...

is it one of our senator who backstabed him? no wonder la 1 of our director mat london (bukan nama sebenar) pun tak suka dia. i grew up with p. ramlee's movie. and he's our truly seniman. bout shumi's doco... for him (supposed 'her') it just a job. but for the person who closed to Allahyarham, i know how you felt.. so ayat orang tua- tua. bersabar je la. he also did for us ..

p/s : that senator still didnt do any shit. karaywan still pergi shooting dengan van vanette.

new said...

Kepada saudara Anwardi,Saya ucapkan tahniah atas blog yang saudara buat untuk tatapan umum dan juga informatif yang berguna dan menarik.
namun apa jua kesilapan atau kekurangan pada blog ,sepatutnya pembaca memberi komen membina demi untuk memertabatkan industri filem melayu klasik dan boleh dianggapkan sebagai sejarah filem.Saya memberi cadangan kepada mana2 pihak yang memberi komen ,takpayah lay guna perkataan kesat sbb kita sesama bangsa dan seagama.
Betul pun apa yang dikatakan oleh Singh Jaga dalam filem "Seniman Bujang Lapuk "Tahun 1961 tak silap saya.
"Apa Macam bangsa lu mahu MAJU? Lu punya nasib lu makan, dia punya nasib dia makan ,apasalah makan sama2"
Pedas tu ...sebab bangsa Melayu kita masih ada lagi perasaan hasad dengki dan irihati sebab tu sampai sekarang kita tak boleh maju dan tak boleh mendahului dari bangsa yang lain .KITA KENA MUAFAKAT DAN BAGI KOMEN YANG BERNAS sebab saya kata begitu kerana saya terlalu sayangkan filem melayu klasik kita yang kian pudar.Sampai singapura saya pergi melihat sendiri jalan ampas studio baru2 ni. bangunan tu macam asal dan telah dibaikpulih dan sign board depan telah ditukar baru dan mungkin dijadikan Heritage Board Of Singapore.