Singer laid to rest
I love his songs, especially Kisah Seorang Biduan. YANG DI-PERTUAN AGONG
KUALA LUMPUR: A sombre mood filled the air as singer Datuk Dahlan Zainuddin was buried at the Bukit Kiara Muslim cemetery here.
He was buried at 2.30pm.
Apart from his wife, Datin Effa Rizan, children and relatives, a multitude of Dahlan’s friends from the entertainment fraternity were present.
They included film producer Datuk Yusof Haslam, Datuk Aziz Bakar; veteran singers Datuk DJ Dave, Uji Rashid, Rahim Maarof and Herman Tino.
The late Dahlan’s remains were earlier brought to the Saidina Abu Bakar As-Siddiq mosque in Bangsar for funeral prayers.
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin AlMustafa Billah Shah Sultan Ahmad Shah Al-Musta’in Billah was among those present to pay his last respects and performed funeral prayers for Dahlan earlier in the day.
The king, a fan of Dahlan, described the demise of the crooner as a great loss to the entertainment industry.
“I’ve known him for a long time, since I was young. He was always invited to (perform at) official events in Pahang.
“I love his songs, especially Kisah Seorang Biduan.
“The song tells of a village boy who migrated to the big city to earn a living,” he said.
In a statement issued by the Comptroller of the Royal Household, Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin, said Sultan Abdullah expressed his deepest sympathies and regret to Dahlan’s family.
“Datuk Dahlan Zainuddin possessed such a distinct ability to entertain and captivate his audience.
“He was gifted with an immense talent and we honour and cherish this artiste that helped shaped the music industry back then and continue to inspire the younger generation.
“Together we pray that Allah will shower him with blessings of his soul and placed him among the righteous. I hope his family is strong and will be patient in facing this challenge.”
Dahlan died at 9.48pm at the Selayang Hospital here, three days after suffering a stroke.
He failed to regain consciousness since being admitted to the emergency ward of the hospital at around 7pm last Saturday.
He was 78. Effa and their children were at his bedside when he breathed his last.