Google Doodle today honours P. Ramlee

• A prolific actor, director, writer, and musician, he contributed to more than 60 films
• His first screen appearance was in Chinta in 1948

TODAY'S Google Doodle highlights the Malaysian legend’s diverse artistry that transcended the entertainment scene and won the people’s hearts. It shows him as people best remember him — sporting a thin moustache and a chequered suit, his head cocked slightly to the side.

Born 88 years ago today, P. Ramlee’s artistic achievements left an indelible mark on the cultural history of Malaysia.

P. Ramlee was a prolific actor, director, writer, and musician who contributed to more than 60 films and composed around 250 songs. After his death in 1973, Malaysians kept his legacy alive, honouring him with posthumous awards and naming halls, museums, and other buildings after him.

His first screen appearance was in Chinta, a B. S. Rajhans-directed film produced by Malay Film Productions in 1948. Between 1948 and 1955, he starred in a total of 27 films. He eventually ventured into film directing under the mentoring of Madras-born director L. Krishnan.

On May 29 1973, P. Ramlee died at the age of 44 from a heart attack and was buried at Jalan Ampang Muslim Cemetery, in Kuala Lumpur.

In 1986, 13 years after his death, in honour of his contributions to the Malaysian entertainment industry, the P. Ramlee Memorial or Pustaka Peringatan P. Ramlee was built in his home in Setapak, Kuala Lumpur.

In 1982, the street Jalan Parry, in the centre of Kuala Lumpur, was renamed Jalan P. Ramlee in his honour.

In 1990, he was posthumously awarded the Malaysian honorific title Tan Sri, and then in 2009, the honorific title of "Datuk Amar" by Sarawak State Government.

Then Chief Minister of Sarawak, Abdul Taib Mahmud, an avid fan of P. Ramlee, presented the award to his adopted daughter, Dian P. Ramlee, in a ceremony honouring veteran artists in Kuching.

The P. Ramlee House is a museum situated along Jalan P. Ramlee (formerly Caunter Hall road) in Penang. The building is a restored wooden house that was originally built in 1926 by his father and uncle.

The house had previously undergone multiple repairs before being taken over by the National Archives as an extension of its P. Ramlee Memorial project in Kuala Lumpur.

Items on display at the house include personal memorabilia related to his life in Penang and items belonging to his family. 

For more technology news and the latest updates, follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn or Like us on Facebook.