KUANTAN: Pahang Ruler Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, and Tengku Ampuan of Pahang, Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah, have extended their condolences to the family of the Malaysian music legend, Tan Sri Dr Ahmad Nawab, who passed away on Sunday (Nov 24).
Both Al-Sultan Abdullah and Tunku Azizah prayed for the soul of the National Artiste, hoping it would be placed among the righteous and those who have faith and perform good deeds.
"Their Royal Highnesses also prayed that Allah will ease everything for the family and that they remain strong in facing the loss of their beloved one,” according to a post on Kesultanan Pahang’s official Facebook page Monday (Nov 25).
Born Ahmad Khan Nawab Khan, Ahmad Nawab passed away at the age of 92 from old age at his residence in Taman Melewar, Gombak.
His remains were laid to rest at the Raudhatul Sakinah Muslim Cemetery (Kuala Lumpur-Karak) this morning.
Ahmad was recognised with the Seniman Negara (National Artistes) award by the Culture, Arts, and Heritage Ministry in 2006.
He left a significant legacy in the country's music industry, having composed over 2,000 songs since starting his career at the age of 16.
On June 5 last year, the Penang-born music maestro received the Panglima Setia Mahkota (PSM) award, which carries the title Tan Sri, in conjunction with the Official Birthday of the 16th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah.
Ahmad, who spent 17 years with the RTM Orchestra and won various awards, including the Merak Kayangan Award (Best Song) for his first composition "Bintang Malam" in 1980, had produced songs for local singers and Indonesian stars such as Hetty Koes Endang and Broery Marantika.
Through his extraordinary talent, several legends in the country’s music industry were born, including the late Datuk Sharifah Aini, the late Datuk Sudirman Arshad, Datuk Khadijah Ibrahim, Datuk Jamal Abdillah, Uji Rashid, and Ramlah Ram.
Ahmad's contributions to the Malaysian music scene were also recognised by Universiti Putra Malaysia, which awarded him an Honorary Doctorate in Literature in 2000.
The maestro was also responsible for composing the song "Malaysia Truly Asia” performed by Datuk Khadijah Ibrahim, a tune considered iconic in promoting Malaysia as a tourist destination on the international stage. - Bernama
