We decided to pay a trip to ‘Rumah P. Ramlee’ which has been certified as a Malaysian national archive honestly expecting to see a rather dilapidated hut.
We drove up to the location over at the lane which also bears his name and found that the place was located at the grounds of the Jabatan Kebudayaan Dan Kesenian Negara Pulau Pinang, which is a huge government building.
P. Ramlee was born nearly a century ago on 22 March 1929 and led an eventful life, going through three marriages—most notably to the Malaysian-Singaporean songstress Saloma—before his untimely demise on 29 May 1973 at the age of 44 from a heart attack.
Besides being known as an actor in Singapore and Malaysia, Teuku Zakaria bin Teuku Nyak Puteh (his actual name) also achieved widespread fame as a filmmaker, musician, and composer internationally. Despite him having passed on almost 50 years ago, this writer remembers watching his works such as Laksamana Do Re Mi growing up, which continue to live on as classics.
Visitors can walk up to the right wing of the department which holds the P. Ramlee Gallery.
We were pleasantly surprised to find that the gallery comprised of an air-conditioned space (so important!) that was well displayed and maintained.
Here, you will find posters of his notable works like ‘Alibaba Bujang Lapok’ and ‘Labu Labi’ as well as memorabilia like the fez he used to wear and his violin.
Known to be multitalented, you might have seen him with a bass guitar onscreen, but he also learned how to play the violin, piano and ukulele with a Japanese soldier Hirake-San when he enrolled at a Japanese navy school. You can even return home with some souvenirs in the form of a medallion bearing his likeness.
Also on display are the actual clothes worn by P.Ramlee and Saloma back in their heyday.
You can spend some time to read up on the life stories and facts about the legend such as his tip to maintaining his melodious voice which was to immerse his head into a barrel of water since he was 10 until he migrated to KL. Talk about commitment to his craft!
The traditional wooden house next to it covers 13,476 square feet and you can go right in to have a look at the living room, bedroom, and kitchen. Contrary to popular belief, it was not his actual residence but his birthplace, where his grandmother used to live but he continued to visit the house now and then until he left for Singapore.
It was built in 1926 by his father, Puteh bin Karim—which is where the P in his name is derived from—and his uncle. The building features a roof made of ‘nipah’ and wood,and has been restored to excellent condition.
Stored underneath is his old bicycle which is amusingly broken on one side as P. Ramlee used to play with the brake while singing as well as a sampan which was owned by his sailor father.
Entry to the attraction is free of charge.
Address: Lot 2180, Jalan P. Ramlee, Taman P. Ramlee, 10460 George Town, Pulau Pinang
Opening Times:
Tuesday-Sunday from 9.00 am to 5.30 pm.
Closed for prayer break on Fridays from 12.00 pm – 3.00 pm.
Closed on Mondays except during Public Holidays and School Holidays.