Legacies of P. Ramlee
Who is P. Ramlee? Explore the fascinating world of P. Ramlee’s artistry through films and songs, discovering his legacies that continue to inspire and unite generations.
Project at a Glance
Driving Questions
What is the relationship between P. Ramlee and the arts and culture landscape in Malaysia?
Creative Medium
Sketching and Scrapbook-making
Community
P. Ramlee’s house
Participants
13–16 year olds
Human Resources
Subject matter experts on Tan Sri P. Ramlee and film analysis
Timeframe
18 hours
Relevant Subjects
Art and Design, Languages, History
Knowledge
- Understand the historical and cultural significance of P. Ramlee’s contributions to Malaysian arts and entertainment.
- Identify key themes and social messages portrayed in P. Ramlee’s film “Labu Labi”.
Skill
- Present messages from P. Ramlee’s films through various creative mediums.
- Develop interviewing skills by formulating and conducting interviews with teachers and community members about P. Ramlee.
- Communicate and collaborate during group discussion and activities.
- Enhance organisation and presentation skills through the final project showcase.
Value
- Appreciate the importance of preserving cultural heritage and honouring local legends like P. Ramlee.
- Cultivate a sense of national pride and respect for the artistic achievements that have shaped cultural identity.
Suggested Activities:
- FAMILY AND NEIGHBOURHOOD – Participants can organise a family movie night or a community screening event featuring a selection of P. Ramlee’s films, with discussions afterwards about the messages and values of the films.
- NEIGHBOURHOOD – Participants can collaborate with local artists or performers to organise a P. Ramlee-themed exhibition in their community.
Context and Citizenship
The life stories of significant historical figures tell us a lot about a particular time period and the evolution of certain fields. P. Ramlee is one such towering figure whose contributions have left a long-lasting impression on Malaysian arts and culture. P. Ramlee is revered as a multi-talented artiste, excelling as a filmmaker, actor, singer, and songwriter. His films and music captivated Malaysians with their blend of entertainment and thought-provoking messages that involve social issues. Despite his untimely passing at the age of 44, his legacies continue to live on through beloved classics cherished by Malaysians of all ages.Â
In this project, despite the school being located on P. Ramlee Road and a stone’s throw away from P. Ramlee’s house, the students knew little about P. Ramlee and his works. Through appreciating the achievements of significant figures, especially those from our local community, we learn to understand our collective identity and heritage more deeply.Â
Components of Learning
Activity 1 - Introduction to P. Ramlee
To get to know who P. Ramlee was and the impact he had, participants interviewed teachers in their school who were familiar with his artistic works. They discovered the films or songs by P. Ramlee that individual teachers liked and why, and then processed the findings.
This activity also helped build participants’ interviewing skills.
Compiled data collected from individual interviews. Tabulation of the data to determine which of P. Ramlee’s works were most liked and why.
Activity 2 - Personal Stories from Those Who Knew P. Ramlee
To obtain more information about his life history, participants interviewed two persons who knew P. Ramlee. They also visited P. Ramlee’s house and the adjacent gallery displaying his life and works, including music scores, lyrics, and various scenes from his films and posters. The groups shared interview findings with each other for further discussion.
Participants visited P. Ramlee’s house which has been turned into a museum.
Activity 3 - Film Appreciation Workshop
In order to gain deeper insights into the works of P. Ramlee, participants attended a film appreciation workshop hosted by a local academic where they watched “Labu Labi”, one of P. Ramlee’s classic comedies, and learned to critically analyse a film.
Directed and acted by P. Ramlee, the film “Labu Labi” follows the misadventures of two servants, Labu and Labi, as they go through their daily lives under the employ of a strict boss, Haji Bakhil, while both secretly love Haji Bakhil’s daughter. The film humorously explores themes of social class and human foolishness, showcasing P. Ramlee’s signature blend of wit and heart.
The workshop helped participants realise that strong social messages can be embedded within comedy and that these issues remain relevant today. The skills and knowledge they developed in this workshop also helped them analyse more of P. Ramlee’s films afterwards.
Academic at a local university sharing about P. Ramlee’s works. Participants presenting their analysis of the film.
Activity 4 - Data Analysis and Creative Interpretation
Based on the data collected from interviews and the film appreciation workshop, participants gained deeper insights from analysing more of P. Ramlee’s songs and films. Participants synthesised their data and prepared to share their findings in a showcase using various creative media such as sketching and scrapbook-making.
Participants working on the scrapbook. Participants working on the scrapbook.
Activity 5 - “Getaran Jiwa” Showcase
The final creative outputs of each group were displayed in a project showcase for the viewing pleasure of the school community. Participants proudly presented their exhibits and answered questions from their peers and teachers
Scrapbook made by participants. Part of the scrapbook showing a comparison of P. Ramlee’s house before and after it was converted into a museum.
Activity 6 - Individual Reflection
Although this activity was not carried out in the original project, educators are encouraged to do so to reinforce participants’ learning.
To conclude, participants can reflect on the following:
- Which P. Ramlee film or song did you like the most, and why do you think people still love his work today?
- What have you learned about our country’s culture and history from P. Ramlee’s films and songs?
- What can we do to make sure that future generations remember and appreciate P. Ramlee and our cultural heritage?
How to Adapt
Community
Can you think of any significant local figure who is the pride of the community or has greatly influenced the development of the community? Try to identify potential sites associated with this person or sources of information about this person, such as a family member, a colleague, an academic, or the person themself.
Creative Medium
Beyond interpreting P. Ramlee’s works, consider letting participants create their own artistic project inspired by P. Ramlee such as a song, short story, painting, or even a short film.
Topic
What are some ways to deepen the participants’ learning? Consider facilitating students to discover more about local history and linking it with P. Ramlee’s life stories. They could interview local historians or local leaders.
This project was originally conducted in Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Abdullah Munshi by Cikgu Clarina Anne Anthony, Cikgu Azizah bt Syed Abu Bakar, and Cikgu Aliff as part of Arts-ED’s 2017 Teacher Training Programme.