Malaysian musicians struggle for steady incomes


Sudirman was quite the showman. Filepic

The sad tale of a national treasure, pianist Ooi Eow Jin, barely eking out a living in his twilight years brings into sharp focus the deplorable level of awareness of artiste management in Malaysia.

The former bandleader of Orkes RTM, composer, arranger, record producer, and music instructor doesn’t even own a house, living in a rented house in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, with his wife and son. Why is a 77-year-old music legend, who was recently conferred a Datukship by the Penang State Government, living in such circumstances?

Subscribe or renew your subscriptions to win prizes worth up to RM68,000!

Monthly Plan

RM13.90/month

Annual Plan

RM12.33/month

Billed as RM148.00/year

1 month

Free Trial

For new subscribers only


Cancel anytime. No ads. Auto-renewal. Unlimited access to the web and app. Personalised features. Members rewards.
Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!
   

Next In People

The book that no one will read
Young urban climber scales French skyscrapers unaided
Riding with the woman who defies gravity on the Wall of Death
Noted! Post-It therapy transforms New York subway
Make food not war: Ukrainian chefs train in France
Malaysian preschooler sets record by naming 47 dialling codes in 60 secs
From pool to spool: Retired Olympian Tom Daley exhibits his knitwear in Tokyo
Why more young men in Finland are being drawn to monastic life
First kisses are becoming ever more elusive for Japan's young people
To make ends meet, hairdressers make a quick buck on the streets of Kinshasa

Others Also Read