By Arman Ahmad.

HIS FATHER was the multi-talented entertainer, comedian and broadcaster Zainal Alam. Zainal Akhiruddin recalls fond memories of his father for Arman Ahmad. 
 
AS a broadcaster, my late father, Datuk Zainal Alam, had many famous friends. One of the fondest memories I have of him is from the days we lived in our house in Perak Road, Penang in the 1960s.

His friends P. Ramlee and A.R. Tompel used to come over. P. Ramlee would pick up my dad in his white sports car and they would head over to eat Pak Din's famous pulut udang in Dhoby Ghat (near the City Stadium).

When they were in our house, they would create a ruckus. P. Ramlee would tell a joke, Tompel would pick up from there and then my dad would join in. At times, I would sit on P. Ramlee's lap while they had their boisterous conversation which inevitably ended up in jokes.

Aziz Satar would visit sometimes as well.

My father had a distinguished career in broadcasting. He was the broadcast controller for the northern region during the British rule.

He continued with the same job during the Japanese occupation and when they left, he served BBC again just before Radio Malaya was set up.

Although he held a senior government post, I think the reason he had so many entertainer friends was because he was an entertainer himself.

He could relate to them. My father had himself cut several albums and his songs were played over the airways.

Perhaps the most memorable song was Undilah (vote) which he sang during the run-up to the first election in Malaya in 1955. The song called on citizens to participate in the electoral process.

He was called the "Minister of Mirth and Entertainment".

Other people called him the "Bob Hope" of Malaysia while others said he bore a resemblance to comedian Bill Cosby.

His work with the government took him to many countries where he met and befriended many international figures.

He became acquainted with John F. Kennedy before he became US president when they went to a public seminar together.

He personally knew Elizabeth Taylor, Indian actor Sivaji Ganesan, Indian actor, producer and politician M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) as well as Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar.

I think people warmed up to him because he was a gentle soul. I don't think he had ever said or done anything to hurt people's feelings.

This endeared him to many, even King Khaled Ibn Abdul Aziz Al Saud who accorded him special treatment when he went to Mecca on his pilgrimage.

In his later years, he played a pivotal role in the Asian Broadcasting Union.

Upon his retirement, he served in Unesco, sharing his experience as a broadcaster with Pakistan, India, Indonesia and other countries.

My father had a unique style. He never kept a moustache or beard, and never wore T-shirt or shorts.

Despite his job in showbusiness, there were no late nights or lingering at coffee shops, and he never had a temper.

But he did enjoy good food, although he didn't eat that much, and it didn't matter whether it was a roadside stall or a fancy restaurant.

He had a quirk. Whenever he was really enjoying himself, his eyebrows would go up and his eyes would go wide. So we would know if he thought the food was good by looking at his face.

In 1981, my father was at Angkasapuri (headquarters of Radio Televisyen Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur) when I received my first salary from an international media house in Kuala Lumpur.

I treated my father to lunch and he chose The Coliseum in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman for a scrumptious steak.

He brought along Tony Soliano, the renowned performer of the 1960s. I felt contented to see the eyebrows rising and the eyes opening wide as he dug into the steak.

I had always been close to my father. When I was a child, he would carry me in his arms into his green-white Holden for a spin around George Town.

This liking for cars we shared. And unknown to all, he had a liking for sports cars.

In the early 1980s, he had a Ford Cortina GT while I drove a Ford Capri GT. He always thought his Cortina was a better drive than my Capri.

In 1988, I bought a Nissan 280ZX sports car with his favourite number 9919.

He drove it across Penang Bridge with me beside him, and again, I remember his raised eyebrows and his eyes wide open, and wearing a wide grin throughout the drive.

As a management consultant, I meet people almost every day at seminars, conventions, talk shows and other events. Many a time, people who know that I am the son of Zainal Alam would come up to me to talk about my father.

I guess the legend of Zainal Alam still lives on.

** Republished with permission. This article first appeared in July 19, 2009 issue of the News Straits Times.

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