Little Ramlee

Penang actually has two famous Ramlees, with L. Ramli being ‘the other one’, writes Dennis Chua

PENANG is most associated with Tan Sri P. Ramlee but there is another Ramli who also has a strong following and is still singing today. He is Datuk Ramli Lazim, better known as Datuk L. Ramli who was born in Sungai Nibong Besarbut now lives in Butterworth.

Known by his trademark red Fez hat, sunglasses and black suit, Ramli, 75, has released 12 albums in his 56 years in music, the last being

in 2006.

The pop singer, who was big in the 1960s and 1970s, is also known as the “crooner from hospital” because he worked at Penang Hospital in Georgetown as an X-ray laboratory assistant.

After retirement, Ramli became a dental attendant at a government clinic in Mak Mandin Industrial Estate, Butterworth.

Briefly hospitalised at Sungai Petani Hospital in 2010 after suffering breathlessness at a concert in Taman Abdullah Fahim, Kepala Batas, Ramli is taking things easy these days.

He has cut down on corporate shows but he still makes an effort to attend reunion concerts featuring 1950s, 1960s and 1970s singers, many of whom are his old friends.

“I still get a lot of invites for dinner shows but I’m more selective now, said Ramli.

The singer of Kedah Malay and Thai descent began his musical career performing with boria troupes around his home state in the early 1960s.

They entertained music lovers in Georgetown, Butterworth and

Bukit Mertajam especially during school holidays.

The song that rocketed Ramli to nationwide fame was

which was recorded with the band Orkes Teruna

Ria in 1962.

“My first band was Orkes

Sri Melur. After that, I performed with Kumpulan

Delima and Orkes Teruna

Ria,” said Ramli.

L. Ramli on an album cover. L. Ramli with P. Ramlee on a magazine cover. Ramli today.