Abdul Rahmat (left) and Goh (right) presenting the Muhibbah Award to Zubir.
Zubir Khan, a Malaysian of Pakistani-Malay parentage who took social media by storm with his original Tamil songs, won the hearts of media editors sitting as judges for the National Press Club of Malaysia-Macrokiosk Muhibbah Awards 2024.
They chose the upcoming star, whose real name is Muhammad Zubir Mohamad Ali, as the winner for August to recognise the muhibbah spirit in which he created Tamil songs that are a hit nationwide.
Zubir, 24, received the award from National Press Club of Malaysia (NPC) exco member Kapt (R) Abdul Rahmat Omar Mohammed Hanif in Kuala Lumpur.
NPC president Datuk Ahirudin Attan said the club hoped to continue lifting the muhibbah spirit through its Macrokiosk initiative which began last year.
He expressed hope that this would help create a stronger and more united Malaysia.
“Achieving these goals rests on every Malaysian and it starts with imparting that spirit to our young ones.
“A truly muhibbah Malaysia can only be attained through our collective efforts, both in this room and beyond.
“Our winner for August is another worthy recipient as the judges acknowledge his efforts in uniting Malaysians through his music.
“Zubir has displayed exemplary muhibbah spirit by bringing together so many people through his love and talent for Tamil songs,” said Ahirudin.
NPC and Macrokiosk, an enterprise solutions platform provider, launched the Muhibbah Awards last year to recognise individual, group or organisation that best exemplifies the muhibbah spirit in Malaysia.
Macrokiosk co-founder and chief executive officer Datuk Kenny Goh described Zubir’s interest in learning another language and pursuing this further by composing songs that went on to become hits, as the embodiment of the muhibbah spirit.
“We hope this award will continue to inspire others to inculcate muhibbah as our Malaysian way of life,” he said.
Zubir thanked NPC and Macrokiosk for the award, saying: “This is truly a pleasant surprise as I never expected to win anything for what I did.
“It brings me great joy seeing my songs bringing many people together.
“I hope that, as I continue singing and coming up with more songs, this will inspire others to go the muhibbah way as true Malaysians living in harmony.”
As a child, Zubir had many Indian and Chinese friends in the oil palm estate in Sepang, Selangor, where he grew up.
Everyone in the estate spoke Tamil and mingled without racial barriers, he said.
He eventually picked up the language and improved his command of the language through conversations with friends and by listening to Tamil music.
“I have an interest in Tamil music and I am a big fan of Indian composer Anirudh (Ravichander),” he shared.
“Since I am fluent in Tamil, I thought, ‘Why not?’.”
Zubir uploaded videos of his singing online without having any expectations.
The response, however, was overwhelming: one of his videos hit 500,000 views while another hit a million.
These kick-started his singing career.
However, what truly catapulted him into the limelight was last year’s creation of Yennode Macha comprising his own lyrics and music by Malaysian composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist duo Music Kitchen.
The catchy song with a title that means “My Friend” became a hit in both the Tamil and Malay music markets.
“I had written songs about love and breakups before but never songs about friendship.
“So, I figured I’d give it a go.
“Now, that song has changed my life,” said Zubir.
Reflecting on his younger years, he acknowledged that growing up with a disability was difficult.
Zubir was only four when an accident with a dough mixer at his father’s bakery caused him to lose part of his right arm.
His loved ones, however, were always there to support and encourage him.
“My family is my backbone.
“I often said I couldn’t do something but they encouraged me until I did it.
“They kept reminding me that I needed to believe in myself.
“Thanks to them, I can do many things today,” he said.
“We must remember, if God takes something away, He gives you something more in return,” he added.
Not too long ago, Zubir held his first performance in Singapore, an experience which he described as unique as he had never expected to be singing overseas.
Fans can look forward to some new music soon, Zubir teased, adding that a collaboration with an international artiste was in the works.
The NPC-Macrokiosk Muhibbah Awards carries a cash prize of RM2,000 and a certificate.
