More than a haircut: Meet the Rembau barber who sings P. Ramlee songs flawlessly
You might assume the singer is Malay, but in Rembau, that voice belongs to Ng Kim Soy, an 81-year-old Chinese barber who not only sings but has also memorised almost all of the legendary artiste's songs.
Even at 81, Ng Kim Soy still skillfully cuts hair for his customers, fulfilling special requests at his "P. Ramlee Barbershop" in Rembau.
REMBAU – Close your eyes and listen to the familiar strains of a Tan Sri P. Ramlee classic sung with perfect pronunciation.
You might assume the singer is Malay, but in Rembau, that voice belongs to Ng Kim Soy, an 81-year-old Chinese barber who not only sings but has also memorised almost all of the legendary artiste's songs. Ng Kim Soy reminisces, holding a photo of himself singing at an event during his younger days, a testament to his lifelong passion for music.
In fact, his barbershop on Jalan Dato Undang in the town of Rembau has been nicknamed the "P. Ramlee Barbershop" by locals due to his deep admiration for the legend, who passed away 52 years ago.
At times, he even entertains customers with renditions of P. Ramlee songs while they get their haircut, especially "Jangan Tinggal Daku" and "Bunyi Gitar."
'As far as I remember, I developed an interest in P. Ramlee's songs when I was 16, because I would often hear them played at wedding feasts in the village and I lived among the Malay community. Ng Kim Soy reminisces, holding a photo of himself singing at an event during his younger days, a testament to his lifelong passion for music.
'Eventually, the songs stuck in my head and I have managed to memorise 20 of them to this day," he told Sinar.
According to the father of three, it wasn't difficult to remember the lyrics because the melodies were pleasant and easy on the ears.
Kim Soy said that unlike many songs today, which tend to have high notes and are harder to follow, P. Ramlee's music was more accessible.
'In the past, we needed vinyl records to listen to songs, but now it's easy; everything is on the internet,' he said.
Recalling fond memories, he said he once received an invitation to sing in front of the 10th Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, the late Tuanku Ja'afar ibni Almarhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman, at an event.
Kim Soy said that moment was the greatest honour of his life and one he would always cherish.
'To me, P. Ramlee's songs are simple, but his silky smooth voice and vocal nuance were priceless. You can't find that in any singer today. Apart from his songs, I also enjoy watching all of his films,' he said. Even at 81, Ng Kim Soy still skillfully cuts hair for his customers, fulfilling special requests at his "P. Ramlee Barbershop" in Rembau.
He shared that he is frequently asked by friends to sing at wedding receptions.
'Many people think I'm Malay when they hear me sing. I often joke that I'm Malay, just not Muslim,' he said.
When asked about his profession as a barber, Kim Soy said he began cutting hair at the age of 17, a trade that is now carried on by his three sons.
However, he stated that most of the work is now handled by his children, except when there are special requests from customers.
'My eldest son, now 40, has taken over the Rembau shop. My second son, who is 39, runs his own shop in Senawang, while the youngest is in Sarawak.
"Among my three sons, only the second one shares my love for P. Ramlee's songs,' said Kim Soy, who opens his shop daily from 10am to 6pm.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Sinar Daily
27 minutes ago
- Sinar Daily
P. Ramlee legacy concert set for Sept 20
Tanahair Films chief executive officer Khairul Anwar said this initiative is a significant step in elevating Malaysian arts through a creative and contemporary approach that still respects the authenticity of P. Ramlee's works. 27 Jun 2025 01:00pm Tickets will go on sale starting June 26 via and updates about the concert can be found on the official social media pages @konsertlegasipramlee, @TanahAirFilms and @legasipodcast on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. - Bernama photo KUALA LUMPUR - The timeless songs of the legendary Tan Sri P. Ramlee will be brought to life at 'Konsert Legasi P. Ramlee', set to take place at Mega Star Arena, Sungei Wang Plaza, here on Sept 20. Organised by Tanahair Films Sdn Bhd, the concert is a continuation of the P. Ramlee Premier Project, led by Datuk Khairul Anwar Salleh and Adlin Aman Ramlie. Tanahair Films chief executive officer Khairul Anwar said this initiative is a significant step in elevating Malaysian arts through a creative and contemporary approach that still respects the authenticity of P. Ramlee's works. - Bernama photo It is expected to feature a mix of classic, contemporary and popular performances presented in theatrical, dramatic and cinematic formats. Among the singers who will grace the stage that evening are Datuk Jamal Abdillah, Datuk Zainalabidin, Ella, MimiFly, Nadeera and Liza Hanim, as well as three personalities closely associated with the persona of P. Ramlee - P. Radhi, Danie Hasbullah and Musly Ramlee. Tanahair Films chief executive officer Khairul Anwar said this initiative is a significant step in elevating Malaysian arts through a creative and contemporary approach that still respects the authenticity of P. Ramlee's works. "When we talk about heritage, the name Tan Sri P. Ramlee is a symbol that unites us all. He was an artiste, a thinker, a cultural leader and a symbol of regional unity. In every lyric he wrote, every scene he acted in and every musical score he composed, there were values that transcended time. "The goal is to introduce Tan Sri P. Ramlee to a new generation, not just as a historical figure or as an icon displayed in museums but as the originator of a legacy that defined the identity of Malaysia's artistic and cultural heritage,' he said at a press conference. P. Ramlee, one of Malaysia's most beloved and versatile entertainers, can never be replaced or imitated, he said, adding that his unique talent and contributions are far too significant to be forgotten. The concert initiative is also supported by the National Archives of Malaysia, the Ministry of National Unity, the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (FINAS) under the Ministry of Communications, and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture. Adlin, who is Tanahair Films' artistic director, said the event would be an emotional one. "It will not only be nostalgic but also refreshing and impressive, with the touch of four renowned Malaysian music maestros. "The audience will be taken back to the golden era of Malay music, reimagined through the interpretations of these four maestros,' he said. The four, Datuk Ramli MS, Datuk Mokhzani Ismail, Helen Yap and Michael Veerapen, will serve as music directors for the concert, where over 30 of P. Ramlee's songs will be performed. The songs will be presented in medley, duet or solo formats with both classic and modern arrangements, accompanied by an orchestra of about 60 musicians. Tickets will go on sale starting June 26 via and updates about the concert can be found on the official social media pages @konsertlegasipramlee, @TanahAirFilms and @legasipodcast on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. - BERNAMA More Like This
Malaysian Reserve
29 minutes ago
- Malaysian Reserve
'Simple monk': the Dalai Lama, in his translator's words
NEW DELHI — With his flowing red monk's robes, beaming smile and contagious laugh, the Dalai Lama (picture), Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, has been the charismatic global face of his people's cause for decades. The Nobel Peace Prize-winning monk, Tenzin Gyatso, is expected to celebrate his 90th birthday on July 6 with huge crowds in northern India, his base since leaving his homeland fleeing Chinese troops in 1959. While China condemns him as a rebel and separatist, the internationally recognised Dalai Lama describes himself as a 'simple Buddhist monk'. Thupten Jinpa, his translator of nearly four decades, described a man who uses humour to calm, fierce intellect to debate, and combines self-discipline with tolerance of others. 'He's never deluded by being extraordinary,' said Jinpa, an eminent Buddhist scholar born in Tibet. The Dalai Lama treats those he meets in the same manner whether they are a president or a peasant, world leader or Hollywood star. 'When he's getting ready to go and see a president or a prime minister, everybody around him is all getting nervous he's just completely relaxed,' said Jinpa, who is now a professor at Montreal's McGill University. 'Once I asked him how is it that he's not nervous, and he said, basically, 'the person I'm meeting is just another human being, just like me!'' 'Self-confidence and humility' Despite being revered as the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, a role stretching back more than 600 years, he does not act with a sense of superiority. 'He is one of the most self-confident people I've ever met in my life,' Jinpa said. 'Self-confidence and humility generally don't go together that well, but in him, they sit beautifully.' Jinpa highlighted the Dalai Lama's ability to bring people together through his 'contagious' sense of humour and famous giggling 'individual laugh'. 'He uses humour immediately, so he has this ability to make you feel at ease.' But the translator also described a man who applied the rigorous education and skills of philosophical debate learned as a monk to address the challenges of a complex world. 'He's gone through a formal academic training,' said Jinpa, who himself studied as a monk and holds a doctorate from the University of Cambridge. 'So when he's sitting down with scientists and philosophers and thinkers in deep conversation, his ability to get to the gist, and ask the question that points towards the next challenge, is an amazing display of his focus.' Jinpa described a man who pursues an austere monastic life with 'very high discipline'. 'He gets up at 3:30 am and has meditation. He doesn't eat after lunch, which is one of the precepts of monastic ethics,' he said. 'He has always maintained this strictly.' While he was born to a farming family, the Dalai Lama grew up in Lhasa's Potala Palace, a vast building reputed to have 1,000 rooms. Since then he has spent much of his life in a hilltop monastic complex in India's town of McLeod Ganj. 'His bedroom is actually a small corridor between two large rooms, doors on the two sides, and a three-by-six single bed attached to the wall, and next to it is a shower cubicle — and that's it,' Jinpa said. 'He has got his photographs of his gurus, teachers, above his bed — very simple.' 'Non-judgement' But the Dalai Lama balances that toughness towards himself with softness for those he meets. 'Generally when people are more pious, more disciplined, more pure, they also tend to be less tolerant,' Jinpa said. 'A lot of the intolerance really comes from puritanism in the world, whether it's religious or ideology,' he added. 'But again, in him, this understanding and non-judgement towards others — and expectation of a high standard for himself — it sits beautifully.' Jinpa added that as the holder of a centuries-old institution, the Dalai Lama places his people before himself. 'In all the negotiations that he has had with China, he has constantly made the point that the issue is not about his return, or his status,' he said. 'The issue is about the Tibetan people — there are over six million of us,' said Jinpa. 'Their ability to be self-governing on the Tibetan plateau, which is their historical home, and their ability to exist with dignity as a distinct people within the People's Republic of China.' — AFP
Borneo Post
2 hours ago
- Borneo Post
Malaysian artist draws inspiration from legacy of Chinese porcelain painters
Born in Malaysia, Alice Chang has carved a name for herself in the international art scene. – Photo from KUALA LUMPUR (June 27): From her studio tucked away in a quiet corner of Kuala Lumpur, Alice Chang, a Malaysian artist, carefully blends her color palette using various shades of white and blue, which she meticulously uses to form intricate paintings of various objects and animals. At first glance, one might think these pieces are very similar to traditional Chinese porcelain, and it would be right. Chang, inspired by those artisans of centuries past, specifically the blue-and-white porcelain wares from Jingdezhen — China's famed porcelain capital during the Ming Dynasty — created her fifth solo exhibition, 'Me, Then Blue,' reinterpreting the same style for a modern audience. 'Remember that many of these painters had no formal training, being employed to hand-paint porcelain. Thus, they were not clouded by the thoughts of others and expressed themselves in the purest possible sense. They painted what they felt, what they saw in their everyday lives, each of them in their own unique way,' she told Xinhua in a recent exclusive interview. Ranging from the conventional to impressionist pieces, Chang who sculpts as well as paints, demonstrates through her work the versatility of the style and the colors most often associated with it — minimalist paintings as well as complex works cover the walls of her studio, which also doubles as an art gallery. The discovery of the 'Wanli Shipwreck' off Malaysia's east coast, with valuable artifacts being found and salvaged alongside large amounts of broken porcelain pieces regarded as having little value, despite the story they told of the region's maritime history, had struck a chord with Chang. 'What truly moved me were the broken porcelain pieces; they shared the same historic value as those that ended up in prestigious auction houses. I wanted to give them a new lease of life, to transform what was once considered worthless into something meaningful and beautiful,' she explained. 'Even as fragments, they shared the same history and told the same story as part of the region's maritime history from the Portuguese sailors who were transporting them, the people and traders of pre-independence Malaysia, and the Chinese artisans who created them,' she said. In addition to the paintings, Chang also incorporated porcelain fragments into sculptures that she has created as part of her collection. 'There's quiet poetry in working with what's broken. Through art, I hope to honor not just the objects, but the resilience and forgotten stories they represent,' she said. The exhibition features 20 paintings and 11 sculptures, each a meditation on memory and transformation, bridging art, archaeology, and a chapter of Malaysian history long overlooked. Chang also spoke of the value of art as a bridge between people of different countries and groups, having met and collaborated with people from all over the world as part of her 15-year journey as an artist. 'We have an affinity for one another. There are no boundaries in our shared passion for art, not just in admiring it, but also in creating it. When I travel to Indonesia, I can stay in a fellow artist's home. It's the same anywhere I go. Art really brings people together,' she said. – Xinhua Alice Chang artist China porcelain
