By Amin Ridzuan Ishak
SHAH ALAM, Sept 1 — The daughter of the late composer Saiful Bahri Elyas has expressed gratitude to the state government for ending her family’s 29-year-long wait for recognition by awarding them a RM1 million home.
Qus Nafiah Saiful Bahri said the efforts to obtain recognition for her father’s works, which include composing the melody for the state anthem Duli Yang Maha Mulia, started with her late mother Norani Ahmad.
In 1992 she met various parties including the Selangor Menteri Besar at that time (Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib) but was unsuccessful. Noraini passed away in 1999.
“After that, my siblings and I continued to meet other Menteri Besars (after Muhammad) but their responses were also disappointing. Only now, with the current Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari, we finally obtained the recognition we sought.
“We were touched by his speech that night (August 30) when he mentioned the many contributions made by our late father that included in composing the Selangor state anthem,” Qus Nafiah said when contacted today.
On August 30, Amirudin presented the state’s recognition award to Qus Nafiah and her four siblings during the state-level National Day celebrations at Dataran Kemerdekaan Shah Alam.
Saiful Bahri, who wrote the lyrics to the national anthem Negaraku and composed the Melaka state anthem, died on December 26, 1976, at the age of 52.
The anthem composed and arranged by Saiful Bahri was made official on March 8, 1967, after it was approved by the Selangor Royal Council and the then-Sultan of Selangor Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Alhaj, to replace the state’s first anthem titled Cantik Manis.
Saiful Bahri also composed many other patriotic songs such as Inilah Barisan Kita, Malaysia Berjaya and Perajurit Tanah Air.
