Yahya Longchik, the newsreader and nation-builder

Free Malaysia Today

27-05-2025

Through his years as a radio and television presenter and family man, Yahya Longchik fostered a sense of national identity grounded in respect and mutual understanding. (Family pics)
PETALING JAYA : When a fledgling Malaysia sought a unifying voice, Yahya Longchik's resonant baritone became one of its anchors.
As a Malay broadcaster excelling in English, Yahya shattered stereotypes and inspired confidence across racial lines.
English fluency was then seen as a symbol of progress, and Yahya helped bridge cultures over the airwaves.
His relaxed, flat delivery on programmes like This Is Your Life encouraged everyday Malaysians, from taxi drivers to hawkers, to share their stories in English.
It fostered trust and inclusivity at a time when language could easily divide rather than unite.
Through historic events, sports commentary, and late‑night music shows, Yahya's authoritative yet warm style provided steady guidance and reassurance.
Former RTM deejay Noramin (right) was among many radio presenters who were inspired by Yahya Longchik (centre) to foster trust and inclusivity. On the left in this 2020 picture is Yahya's son Faizal.
In every broadcast, he embodied the promise of a modern Malaysia: a nation confident in its own voice, speaking in English without losing sight of its diverse roots.
His all-embracing broadcasting approach shaped public confidence and language pride.
With every bulletin, music and talk show, Yahya proved that a Malay announcer could command English with elegance.
The nation-builder with a mic died yesterday evening, aged 86.
From the 1960s to the 1990s, his mellifluous delivery on both radio and television made him a household name.
His unwavering commitment to clear, unhurried English broadcasting left an indelible mark on listeners nationwide.
Malays were particularly proud that one of their own read news and hosted spirited programmes in English in a confident voice, with excellent diction.
Yahya and the other presenters of Radio Malaysia's English service played good music, discussed current affairs, and encouraged people of all races to speak and understand proper English.
They were widely loved and their on-air styles were imitated as they became influential in the cultural life of the nation.
Yahya Longchik at Brinsford Lodge, England, where he was trained as a teacher and newsreader, and in public speaking. (Family pic)
Teaching English on the streets
Born in Melaka in 1939, Yahya first discovered his talent for public speaking during his training at Brinsford Lodge, the Malayan Teachers' Training College in England, between 1958 and 1960.
While there, he supplemented his studies with part‑time work at the BBC World Service, where he honed the art of neutral, empathetic delivery.
In an FMT interview in 2020, he said he learned to 'talk to people and not to bring moods or trouble into the studio'.
Upon returning to Malaysia, he traded chalk for microphone.
He followed a fellow educator, the late Mokhtar Daud, into broadcasting, joining Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) in Melaka in 1966.
In the early days, Yahya's authoritative yet warm voice read the day's headlines in both English and Malay on radio, and twice weekly on television.
He hosted This Is Your Life, a groundbreaking 1960s radio show that gently encouraged taxi and bus drivers, hawkers, and labourers to share the joys of their professions in English.
It was an initiative that endeared him to ordinary Malaysians and underscored his belief in language as a bridge across communities.
A family with mixed marriages at the grave of Yahya Longchik's father-in-law at Bukit Cina, Melaka. (Faizal Yahya pic)
Listeners tuned in not merely for information, but for the sense of shared purpose his calm, unifying tone imparted.
Yahya's technique was marked by a deliberately flat intonation: 'We had to keep our voice fairly flat so as not to dramatise news,' he said.
As a stickler for accuracy and pronunciation, he lamented that modern newsreaders often rushed through scripts or spoke so quickly that their words were difficult to decipher.
'Sometimes, I don't understand what they say,' he said, expressing disappointment at the decline of the measured pace that characterised broadcasting in his heyday.
Yahya's versatility
The highlight of Yahya's political coverage was US president Lyndon B Johnson's 21‑hour stopover in Kuala Lumpur in 1966.
He explained to listeners why the US, without military ties to Malaysia or participation in the Manila Summit, had nonetheless included Malaysia in its Asia‑Pacific tour.
'It came down to simple gratitude,' Yahya said, recounting how Malaysia's early support for US policy on Vietnam merited a courtesy visit.
On the sports front, Yahya's calm professionalism shone during tense moments.
In 1967, while broadcasting live from Jakarta's Senayan Stadium, he narrated the spectator unrest that erupted during the Thomas Cup badminton final between Malaysia and Indonesia.
Rather than fanning the flames, he acknowledged the collective trauma of the Confrontation (1963–1965) and hailed the Malaysian team, who triumphed 6–3 in the abandoned match, as 'absolute heroes' who lifted the nation's spirit.
On Saturday nights at 11pm, he spun 45rpm records on his hour‑long Saturday Night Ride, a programme particularly beloved by women for its blend of music and informal chat.
Yahya's eloquence made him a sought‑after master of ceremonies.
He presided over high‑profile events hosting global leaders and royalty, most memorably Queen Elizabeth II's visits to Kuala Lumpur in 1989 for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting, and again in 1998 for the Commonwealth Games.
His genteel poise and impeccable diction lent gravitas to each occasion.
After retiring from broadcasting in 1990, he joined Pos Malaysia as group manager of public relations, where he continued newsreading for another five years.
His post‑RTM career allowed him to remain connected to the medium he loved, while mentoring a new generation of communicators.
Yahya Longchik and his wife (both seated) with their children. (Farah Yahya pic)
Family's colour‑blind ethos
Yahya is survived by his wife, Hajah Nyonya Ali (née Cherie Lim Goh Neo), a Baba Nyona and herself a former teachers' college lecturer; their daughter, Farah; four sons Faizal, Farouk, Fairuz and Farid; 17 grandchildren and one great grandson.
Faizal reflected on the family's 'colour‑blind' ethos rooted in cross‑cultural marriages and deep respect for all races and religions, a legacy he attributes to his father's inclusive spirit.
The last rites for Yahya, which began at Masjid Alam Impian Section 35, Shah Alam, at 8am, will be followed by the burial.