Tag: SUNG MELODY

Song Of The Soil

Every Malaysian knows the lyrics that make up Negaraku, the country’s national anthem. But few know of its true origins. In the spirit of Merdeka, Mansor Tun Abdul Aziz, scion of the songwriter himself, delves deep into the family archives to uncover the facts behind the most widely sung melody in the nation.

My earliest recollection of our national anthem was sometime way back in the 1960s, whenever the daily television transmission signed off. A mere sproglet then, it seemed the most dignified ending to a day of viewing I Love Lucy, Merry Melodies and watching Eva Gabor jiggle it in Green Acres.

When Negaraku played, I remembered how my brothers and I would stand up, in mock military attention, much to my parents’ amusement. I also remember how we’d sing it in kindergarten, complete with a tone-deaf classmate, whose shrill monotone would pierce our innocent eardrums mercilessly and being totally unaware of Negaraku’s historical significance, let alone the direct participation of one of my forefather’s in the anthem’s formation.

A rather heated debate was stirred recently when a neighboring country staked claim to the origins of Malaysia’s national anthem, claiming that it was adopted from the Bangsawan tune, Terang Bulan, while another expert argued it stemmed from a Hawaiian ditty – Mamula Moon.

Not wanting to wade into politicallyinfested waters, I referred to my mother, Raja Toh Puan Teh Zaiton Raja Kamarazalman, a Perak princess of the blood, information and updates from my cousin Raja Mahariz as well as papers written by the late and greatly-respected Malaysian historian, Tan Sri Mubin Sheppard.