Remembering Sudirman: “There are already many Datuks in Malaysia, should only the title be for the late?” – Saodah
KUALA LUMPUR: Greater appreciation should be given to the late Sudirman Haji Arshad, in accordance with his services and contributions.
Former entertainment journalist, Saodah Ismail said, the title of Datuk and a street with the name of Allahyarham, is not enough to appreciate the talent and spirit of Allahyarham.
“In Malaysia, there are many Datuks, so should we equate the services and contributions of the deceased with others? Yes, there is also a road in conjunction with the name of the deceased, is that enough? Sudirman’s gallery is just warm chicken poop.
“What really appreciates him is the Sudirman Fan Club, they keep all the details and visuals of the late, but at the national level, what do we do?
“During his life, Allahyarham was not just a singer but instilled the spirit of patriotism and unity, he always called him a villager, many songs had such themes.
“He should be remembered as an icon of unity and not just an entertainment icon,” said Saodah when appearing in the AWANI Bulletin.
Therefore, Saodah, who is also one of the close friends of the late, suggested that an artist museum be set up for Sudirman, apart from creating artist scholarships as an encouragement to young people to venture into the art world seriously.
“What’s wrong if we have an artists museum for all the great artists who were born in the country. We can also create the P. Ramlee scholarship, Sudirman Scholarship to inspire the younger generation who are interested in art and have a big heart.
“Sudirman is a small person, but his big spirit is very big, that’s what we have to instill in our children,” he explained.
He added that the spirit of Allahyarham needs to be hawked and narrated so that the younger generation in particular, knows Allahyarham better as a principled art person and not just a mere singer.
“The late admitted he had many shortcomings, he lost his mother when he was a child but he gave great love to others.
“He showed no lack or sadness, he was not desperate, hardworking and hard working.
“During the recording in the studio, he did not bring the lyrics of the song, he appreciated the song before entering the studio again.
“This spirit, determination and love that we want to instill in our young generation,” he added.
Sudirman breathed his last on February 22, 1992, due to pneumonia.
During his lifetime, the late created extraordinary successes, including being named Best Asian Entertainer at the Asian Popular Music Awards in 1989.
Also a sweet memory was Sudirman’s concert at Chow Kit Road on April 14, 1986, which to this day still holds the record for the largest concert ever performed by a local artist, with an attendance of over 100,000 fans.
-Madiha Abdullah
