As Zubir Said’s education was mostly informal and experiential, or what he would refer to as ‘long’ and ‘crooked’, the desire to make up for the loss was palpable throughout his adult life. This is evident from the English books he taught himself to read, which included those on music theory, medicine, history, and ideology, amongst others. Thus, in many school speeches Zubir gave, he stressed the importance of a good education and for the hope that it will inculcate respect for the flag, the national anthem Majulah Singapura (Onward Singapore), as well as for one’s parents and teachers.
This is the story of the Majulah Singapura and its composer Zubir Said (1907-87), an immigrant who landed on the shores of Singapore in 1928 and stayed on until his death in 1987, with only a brief sojourn to Sumatra during the Japanese Occupation. The difficult circumstances surrounding its composition and selection as anthem are unveiled, and complemented by a rich ontology of artefacts, interviews, media, photographs, personal and official letters. But even as Zubir struggled to compose the Majulah, he held firm to a consciousness that it should be newly composed and not derived from a Malay song or folksong. In particular, he resisted the popular styles of the west that were the craze at that time, and refused to incorporate western style rhythms which were not suitable for the vernacular. Rather, he wanted a patriotic anthem to stay true to an aesthetic style suitable for a nation of new immigrants for generations to come. Yet decades later, Zubir would face disappointment on hearing that some Singaporeans were prepared to abandon the Majulah despite the anthem having ‘served its loyalty to Singapore’ over the years. Indeed, it would not cross Zubir’s mind to sacrifice his values and ethics for political expediency.
To appreciate Zubir is to recognize how his ideals and values influenced his choices in life. Here is a true entrepreneur whose success did not depend on a school or a manual, but on ingenuity, grit, and innate intelligence. We leave you now to explore this collection and to join the dots in your personal (and perhaps ‘crooked’) journey to discover the man behind the Majulah Singapura.
Author: Dr Eleanor A. L. TAN