If Tan Sri P. Ramlee was still alive today, he would be 89 this week.

Teuku Zakaria bin Tueku Nyak Puteh, or better known as P. Ramlee, was born on March 22, 1929 in Penang.

He died at the age of 44, on May 29 1973. He was the biggest name in the world of Malay entertainment. Even today he has no equal.

He was synonymous with the Malay film industry. When he first acted in Chinta, a film directed by B.S. Rajhans in 1948, Malay cinema was but a fledgling one.

When he was made the leading man five films later in Bakti (1950) directed by L. Krishnan, Malay cinema was already making its impact.

The golden era of Malay cinema began about the time P. Ramlee was offered to direct his first feature film Penarik Beca in 1955.

It was also the year that he acted in one of the best films ever made by Malay Film Production (MFP) in Singapore, Hang Tuah, helmed by Indian director, Phani Majumdar.

In his career, P. Ramlee acted in 65 films, directed 16 films at MFP and 18 other films at the Merdeka Film Productions in Ulu Kelang.

He starred in all the films he directed except one (Panca Delima in 1957). Some of the films are real gems, namely Penarik Beca, Semerah Padi, Musang Berjanggut, Antara Dua Darjat, Ibu Mertuaku, the Bujang Lapok series and the Labu Labi series (all made in Singapore).

When he left Singapore for Ulu Kelang, the Malay film industry was already wobbling. His last film for MFP was Tiga Abdul (1964). Legend has it he was betrayed by the same people whom he used to work with and even made famous.

He directed Sitora Harimau Jadian, his first film at Ulu Kelang in the same year. MFP folded in 1967. Soon after, the studio at Ulu Kelang also closed down. His last film there was Laksamana Do Re Mi in 1972.

None of his films at Ulu Kelang matched those he made in Singapore. Except for the hugely popular Do Re Mi series, most of his works were mediocre. He made a few marginally-successful films, but his heydays were over.

P. Ramlee was also a talented singer and musician. Throughout his career, he composed and sang about 400 songs. Many of the songs were written for his films.

Up till today, his songs evoke memories of the grand old days of Malay music. P. Ramlee set a new bar of excellence in the local music industry. Working with composers like Zubir Said, Osman Ahmad, Ahmad Jaafar and Ahmad Nawab and lyricists like S. Sudarmaji, Jamil Sulong, Salleh Ghani and Usman Awang, P. Ramlee was able to produce memorable songs that stood the test of time.

But P. Ramlee was sadly a victim of circumstances. Unlike his counterparts in the West, the copyright laws were never fully observed here. He was merely a salaried artiste. He had no say in the royalties. While studios were raking millions from his works, he died a poor man.

Bapaku P. Ramlee a book written by Nasir P Ramlee – his son with first wife Junaidah – chronicles the final days of the star and his beloved wife Saloma.

There is one anecdote in the book that touched me. It happened after P. Ramlee’s death. Nasir was broke and called his stepmother for help. Saloma met him at a coffee shop belonging to Ah Lek, where the late P. Ramlee used to frequent. Saloma pulled out RM40 from her purse and said: “This is all I have Nasir, take half.”

Nasir, died at the age of 55 in 2008. Saloma passed away 10 years after P. Ramlee’s demise, on April 25 1983.

P. Ramlee certainly didn’t deserve the life he went through in his later years. He was a broken man, saddened and humbled by new realities surrounding him.

Malay films have lost its lustre. The Pop Yeah Yeah phenomena had swept the nation destroying every strand of the kind of music that was dear to him. He was even booed on stage when he performed together with the new crop of singers.

P. Ramlee wasn’t perfect. But he made great movies and sang wonderful songs. He was an indefatigable crusader against injustice and the corrupt as evident in his films. He was the hero for the underdogs, the downtrodden and the powerless.

He gave them their voices. For many years, the Malays – who during the heydays of P. Ramlee movies were mostly peasants and fishermen – found salvation by associating themselves with the heroes in his movies like Penarik Beca, Antara Dua Darjat, Ibu Mertuaku, Labu Labi and Bujang Lapuk.

After all, movies and music are powerful tools of indoctrination.

His artistry will be remembered forever for P. Ramlee was nothing but the best.