P. Ramlee

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Malaysian singer, actor, and film director (1929–1973)

title: "P. Ramlee" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["malaysian-people-of-acehnese-descent", "malaysian-people-of-malay-descent", "1929-births", "1973-deaths", "malaysian-male-film-actors", "malaysian-film-directors", "malaysian-musicians", "malaysian-film-score-composers", "malaysian-singer-songwriters", "malaysian-film-producers", "malaysian-expatriates-in-singapore", "acehnese-people", "male-actors-from-penang", "people-from-george-town,-penang", "members-of-the-order-of-the-defender-of-the-realm", "commanders-of-the-order-of-loyalty-to-the-crown-of-malaysia", "knights-commander-of-the-order-of-the-star-of-hornbill-sarawak", "20th-century-malaysian-male-actors", "malay-language-film-directors", "malay-film-productions-contract-players", "merdeka-film-productions-contract-players", "male-film-score-composers"] description: "Malaysian singer, actor, and film director (1929–1973)" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._Ramlee" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Malaysian singer, actor, and film director (1929–1973) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox person"]

FieldValue
honorific_prefixYang Berbahagia Seniman Agung Tan Sri Datuk Amar
nameP. Ramlee
native_name{{Script
honorific-suffix
imageTan Sri P. Ramlee.jpeg
captionP. Ramlee at the 19th Asia-Pacific Film Festival, 1973
birth_nameTeuku Zakaria bin Teuku Nyak Puteh
birth_date
birth_placeSungai Pinang, George Town, Penang, Straits Settlements, British Malaya (now Malaysia)
death_date
death_placeSetapak, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
resting_placeJalan Ampang Muslim Cemetery, Kuala Lumpur
monumentsP. Ramlee Memorial
other_namesRamlee Puteh
education{{Plainlist
occupation{{flatlist
years_active1945–1973
known_for{{plainlist
worksFilmography
spouse{{plainlist
* {{marriageJunaidah Daeng Harris
* {{marriageNoorizan Mohd. Noor
children7 (including Nasir)
signatureP. Ramlee's signature.svg
module{{Infobox musical artist
embedyes
backgroundsolo_singer
genrePop
instrument
labelEMI
::

| honorific_prefix = Yang Berbahagia Seniman Agung Tan Sri Datuk Amar | name = P. Ramlee | native_name = {{Script|Arab|ڤي رملي}} | honorific-suffix = | image = Tan Sri P. Ramlee.jpeg | caption = P. Ramlee at the 19th Asia-Pacific Film Festival, 1973 | birth_name = Teuku Zakaria bin Teuku Nyak Puteh | birth_date = | birth_place = Sungai Pinang, George Town, Penang, Straits Settlements, British Malaya (now Malaysia) | death_date = | death_place = Setapak, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | resting_place = Jalan Ampang Muslim Cemetery, Kuala Lumpur | monuments = P. Ramlee Memorial | other_names = Ramlee Puteh | education = {{Plainlist |

| works = Filmography | spouse = {{plainlist|

| children = 7 (including Nasir) | signature = P. Ramlee's signature.svg | module = {{Infobox musical artist | embed = yes | background = solo_singer | genre = Pop | instrument = | label = EMI

Teuku Zakaria bin Teuku Nyak Puteh (22 March 1929 – 29 May 1973), better known by his stage name P. Ramlee (Puteh Ramlee), was a Malaysian actor, filmmaker, musician, and composer. Born in Penang, Malaya, he is regarded as a prominent icon in Southeast Asia.

P. Ramlee's career in the entertainment industry spanned from the late 1940s until his death in 1973. He made significant contributions to the Malayan-Singaporean film industries, starring in and directing numerous films that are considered classics today. Some of his most notable works include Bujang Lapok (1957), Do Re Mi (1966), and Tiga Abdul (1964).

In addition to his film career, P. Ramlee was also a prolific musician, composing over 350 songs. His music often incorporated traditional Malay elements and became immensely popular across Southeast Asia. His versatility and talent earned him numerous awards and accolades throughout his life.

P. Ramlee's legacy continues to influence and inspire new generations of artists in the region. His films and music remain beloved, and his contributions to the cultural heritage of Malaysia, Singapore and the broader Malay-speaking world (i.e. the Nusantara) are celebrated to this day.

Name

He abbreviated his name to P. Ramlee (Puteh Ramlee), taking inspiration from the Tamil patronymic naming conventions, where the initial stood for his father's name (Puteh) and was followed by the name given to him in school (Ramlee).

Early life and education

P. Ramlee was born on 22 March 1929 to Teuku Nyak Puteh Bin Teuku Karim (1902–1955) and Che Mah Binti Hussein (1904–1967). His father, Teuku Nyak Puteh, who was a descendant of an Acehnese wealthy family, migrated from Lhokseumawe, Aceh, to settle in Penang, where he married P. Ramlee’s mother, who hailed from Kubang Buaya, Butterworth, North Seberang Perai and were domiciled at the Sungai Pinang suburb of the capital, George Town (where his birthplace museum still stands today).

P. Ramlee received his education from the Sekolah Melayu Kampung Jawa (Kampung Jawa Malay School), Francis Light English School and then to Penang Free School; in all he was registered as "Ramlee" by his father, Reportedly a reluctant and naughty student, P. Ramlee was nevertheless talented and interested in music and football. His studies at the Penang Free School were interrupted by the Japanese occupation from 1942 to 1945, during which he was enrolled in the Imperial Naval Academy (Kaigun Heigakkō). He also learnt the basics of music and to sing Japanese songs during this period with his teacher, Hirahe-san. When the war ended, he took music lessons that enabled him to read musical notations, joining a marching band in his village.

Career

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/P._Ramlee_and_his_friends_upon_arrival_at_Jalan_Ampas,_Singapore.jpg" caption="P. Ramlee and his friends upon arrival at [[Jalan Ampas]], Singapore"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/63/P_Ramlee_and_Kasma_Booty,_Peran_Pemuda_dalam_Kebangkitan_Film_Indonesia,_p114.jpg" caption="P. Ramlee and [[Kasma Booty]], 1950"] ::

By 1948, the 19 year-old Ramlee had already won a number of singing competitions, and was writing his own songs and playing the violin in a kroncong band.

In 1950, Ramlee played his first major role in the film directed by , Bakti ("Devotion"). In Bakti, he was the first actor to sing in his own voice instead of relying on playback singer. During the singing scene, Ramlee duet with Siti Zainab, who already appeared in four films with him. In the following films, such as Juwita in 1951 and Ibu ("Mother") in 1953, he became established as a major star of the Malay film industry.

Aside from acting, Ramlee was a prolific songwriter, and around 500 of his songs have been recorded, either by himself or by other artists. Ramlee himself recorded 359 songs for his films and records. Among his best known songs are "", "", "Engkau Laksana Bulan", "", "Tudung Periok", "" and "Azizah". The songs Ramlee wrote were featured in his films, performed by Ramlee himself or by other artists. In Hang Tuah (1956) which was directed by , Ramlee won best musical score at the Asia-Pacific Film Festival.

P. Ramlee started directing feature films in 1955, the first of which was ** ("Trishaw Man"). P Ramlee wrote the screenplay based on a story by Lu Xun, and the film was critically praised as the best Malay film of the year. One of these, Pendekar Bujang Lapok (1959), won the Best Comedy award at the Asia-Pacific Film Festival. He also won the Best Actor award for Anak-ku Sazali at the festival. Other significant films he directed for MFP include Antara Dua Darjat, Ibu Mertua-ku and Tiga Abdul. ::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/P.Ramlee_Chair_(8273384443).jpg" caption="Portrait of P. Ramlee"] ::

Ramlee's career at the Malay Film Productions in Singapore between 1955 and 1964 was considered his "golden age" when he made his most critically acclaimed films and wrote his best-remembered songs.

He made 18 films with Merdeka, and his last film was Laksamana Do Re Mi made in 1972. His last song was "Ayer Mata di Kuala Lumpur" ("Tears in Kuala Lumpur") intended for a film of the same name before he died in 1973. In all, Ramlee starred in 62 films and directed 33.

Death and legacy

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bd/P._Ramlee_1.jpg" caption="P. Ramlee's gravesite at [[Jalan Ampang Muslim Cemetery]], [[Kuala Lumpur]]."] ::

Before dawn of 29 May 1973, P. Ramlee died at the age of 44 from a heart attack and was buried at Jalan Ampang Muslim Cemetery in Kuala Lumpur.

At the time of his death, Ramlee's career was generally ignored in the Malaysian entertainment industry of the time, and had largely been denounced out of jealousy from other contemporaries. It was only during the late 1980s, two decades after his death, that his contributions became much more honoured for their significance in the late-colonial and post-independent nation-building periods they were made, partly out of deep shame and sense of pity (kasihan) towards discovery of said tragic final years by generations after him.

On 16 June 1983, the former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad expressed the need to take genuinely effective measures to commemorate Ramlee's contributions as the nation's greatest artist. Mahathir referred to Ramlee as a true people's artist, stating that despite his passing a decade ago, he is still remembered by people of all ages.

In the late 1980s, the P. Ramlee Memorial or Pustaka Peringatan P. Ramlee was built in his home in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur. In 1992, the street Jalan Parry, in the center of Kuala Lumpur, was renamed Jalan P. Ramlee in his honour. In 1990, he was posthumously awarded the Malaysian honorific title Tan Sri, and then in 2009, the honorific title of "Datuk Amar" by Sarawak State Government. Then Chief Minister of Sarawak, Abdul Taib Mahmud, an avid fan of Ramlee, presented the award to his adopted daughter, Dian P. Ramlee, in a ceremony honouring veteran artists in Kuching.

The P. Ramlee House is a museum situated along Jalan P. Ramlee (formerly Caunter Hall road) in Penang, Malaysia. The building is a restored wooden house that was originally built in 1926 by his father and uncle. The house had previously undergone multiple repairs before being taken over by the National Archives as an extension of its P. Ramlee Memorial project in Kuala Lumpur. Items on display at the house include personal memorabilia related to his life in Penang and items belonging to his family.

On 22 March 2017, his 88th birthday, Google honored P. Ramlee with a Doodle on the Malaysian Google homepage.

In 2020, the film Showtime 1958 was released in Malaysia, starring Amai Kamarudin as P. Ramlee. The film documents a 1958 fundraising variety show headlined by Ramlee, and his composition of the song "Selamat Hari Raya".

In 2021, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) honoured him with their limited-time menu, the Burger P. Ramlee — a combination between KFC Zinger and P. Ramlee's favourite dish, the Nasi Kandar where it is available in four combos — À'la Carte, Kombo, Set Legenda and Kombo Ikon.

Filmography

Main article: P. Ramlee filmography

P. Ramlee was involved in many aspects of his films: as scriptwriter, director, actor as well as music composer and singer. He was involved in 62 films throughout his career as an actor, as well as a number of other films in other capacities.

Honours

Honours of Malaysia

Entities named after P. Ramlee

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e7/Jl_P.Ramlee.jpg" caption="P. Ramlee Street in Kuala Lumpur"] ::

Various places are named after Ramlee

  • Jalan P. Ramlee, Penang (formerly known as Caunter Hall; renamed on 30 August 1983)
  • Jalan P. Ramlee, Kuala Lumpur (formerly known as Jalan Parry; renamed in 1982)
  • Bangunan P. Ramlee and Bilik Mesyuarat Tan Sri P. Ramlee at Sekolah Kebangsaan Hulu Klang, Selangor (used as background in Masam Masam Manis)
  • Jalan P. Ramlee, Kuching, Sarawak (formerly known as Jalan Jawa)
  • Taman P. Ramlee (formerly Taman Furlong) a townships at Setapak, Kuala Lumpur and George Town, Penang
  • Pawagam Mini P. Ramlee at Studio Merdeka, FINAS, Ulu Klang, Selangor
  • Makmal P.Ramlee at Filem Negara Malaysia, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
  • P. Ramlee Auditorium (formerly known as RTM Auditorium), Angkasapuri
  • SK Tan Sri P. Ramlee, George Town, Penang (formerly SK Kampung Jawa, his alma mater; renamed on 13 November 2011)
  • Ramlee Mall at Suria KLCC shopping centre, Kuala Lumpur
  • Bukit Nanas Monorail station, Kuala Lumpur, formerly known as P. Ramlee Monorail station
  • Auditorium P. Ramlee, RTM Kuching, Sarawak

References

References

  1. Murtado, Ali. (22 March 2019). "P. Ramlee: Seniman Jenius Keturunan Indonesia yang Terpinggirkan".
  2. (1998-07-17). "Creating a Hero:Malaysia's Unlikely Icon". The New York Times.
  3. (2011). "Koleksi P. Ramlee". Felix Entertainment.
  4. (Oct 9, 1965). "Dari penyanyi kapada pengarah filem". [[Berita Harian]].
  5. (2019). "China Forever: The Shaw Brothers and Diasporic Cinema". University of Illinois Press.
  6. Van der Heide, William. (2014). "Malaysian Cinema, Asian Film". Amsterdam University Press.
  7. "Malay Film Productions". Shaw Organisation.
  8. Soelin, Emsjaf. (1951-06-20). "ZAINAB, Bintang Harapan Panggung Sandiwara dari Ratu Asia". Aneka.
  9. (2019). "China Forever: The Shaw Brothers and Diasporic Cinema". University of Illinois Press.
  10. Adil Johan. (2018). "Cosmopolitan Intimacies". NUS Press.
  11. Craig A. Lockard. (1998). "Dance of Life: Popular Music and Politics in Southeast Asia". University of Hawai'i Press.
  12. (2019). "A General History Of The Chinese In Singapore". World Scientific Publishing Company.
  13. Gaik Cheng, Khoo. (2011). "Reclaiming Adat: Contemporary Malaysian Film and Literature". UBC Press.
  14. Tan, K.H.. (9 December 1988). "Screen legend lives on". [[The Straits Times]].
  15. Lockard, Craig. (1998). "Dance of Life: Popular Music and Politics in Southeast Asia". University of Hawaii Press.
  16. (30 May 2010). "Malay movie idol Ramlee dies after heart attack". [[The Straits Times]].
  17. Lockard, Craig A.. (Dec 1996). "From Folk to Computer Songs: The Evolution of Malaysian Popular Music, 1930–1990". The Journal of Popular Culture.
  18. Adil Johan. (Jul 2019). "Cosmopolitan Sounds and Intimate Narratives in P. Ramlee's Film Music". Journal of Intercultural Studies.
  19. (1983-06-17). "Mahathir mahu langkah berkesan kenang Seniman R Agung P. Ramlee".
  20. "Taib receives prestigious Perdana Seniman Agung P Ramlee Award | my Sarawak - News coverage around Sarawak, Sabah and Malaysia".
  21. "P. Ramlee's 88th birthday". [[Google Doodle]].
  22. (22 March 2017). "Google Doodle honours arts legend P. Ramlee on 88th birthday". Today Online.
  23. (2022-05-13). "‘Showtime 1958’: The untold story about P. Ramlee’s lost variety show now on Netflix".
  24. Mohd Zaky Zainudin. (27 October 2021). "KFC perkenal Burger P. Ramlee". [[Berita Harian]].
  25. (26 October 2021). "KFC perkenalkan Burger P. Ramlee". [[Harian Metro]].
  26. "SEMAKAN PENERIMA DARJAH KEBESARAN, BINTANG DAN PINGAT". [[Prime Minister's Department (Malaysia)]].
  27. "P. Ramlee | Infopedia".
  28. (17 December 2016). "A Commentary by Ravindran Raman Kutty". The Borneo Post.
  29. "P. Ramlee {{!}} Infopedia".
  30. IBRAHIM, NIK KHUSAIRI. "Humble house where a star was born".
  31. "Google Maps". Google Maps.
  32. "Google Maps". Google Maps.
  33. "Taman P Ramlee, Setapak – Propwall".
  34. "Google Maps". Google Maps.
  35. "SK TAN SRI P.RAMLEE PULAU PINANG | TEL: 042268841".
  36. "Auditorium P. Ramlee".

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malaysian-people-of-acehnese-descentmalaysian-people-of-malay-descent1929-births1973-deathsmalaysian-male-film-actorsmalaysian-film-directorsmalaysian-musiciansmalaysian-film-score-composersmalaysian-singer-songwritersmalaysian-film-producersmalaysian-expatriates-in-singaporeacehnese-peoplemale-actors-from-penangpeople-from-george-town,-penangmembers-of-the-order-of-the-defender-of-the-realmcommanders-of-the-order-of-loyalty-to-the-crown-of-malaysiaknights-commander-of-the-order-of-the-star-of-hornbill-sarawak20th-century-malaysian-male-actorsmalay-language-film-directorsmalay-film-productions-contract-playersmerdeka-film-productions-contract-playersmale-film-score-composers