KUALA LUMPUR: The National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) Ziarah Prihatin programme was not only held to acknowledge the services of veteran artistes and singers but it also opened up opportunities for them to make a comeback in the industry.
Finas chairman Zakaria Abdul Hamid (pix, left) said the programme was described as killing two birds with a stone as the programme could also keep entertainment industry enthusiasts posted on what these artistes are doing after being away from scene for a long time.
“Aside from showing appreciation to the artistes and putting them in the limelight with the help of the media, some singers and actors also received job offers.
“Artistes like Mat Over and Aspalela received invitations to perform at the recent Radio Televisyen Malaysia’s 75th anniversary celebrations after their stories surfaced in the media.
He said this after visiting Laksamana lead singer, Nizam Arjuna (pix, right) during Finas’s ziarah prihatin initiative today.
He added that the programme, which has entered the 3.0 series, will cover a total of 50 artistes during the month of Ramadan and since it was conducted last year, 104 artistes have been highlighted.
“Although Finas is more into film, music is also part of film. Without music, films will not work, so besides actors, we also visit local singers, especially the veterans,“ he said.
Nizam, who was popular in the 90’s in the country’s rock music scene with the song ‘Gugurnya Bunga Cinta’, said that what Finas did was eye-opening.
“At first, I was a bit surprised that Finas, which is synonymous with the film industry, wanted to visit a singer like me.
“I think this is a new platform for us singers to provide updates on our development because we do not have a special body to take care of our welfare. Seniman is too open to all artistes,“ he said.
The 55-year-old Nizam now supports his family by selling maruku and at the same time has to look after his wife Salwati Zulkifli, 46, who has breast cancer.- Bernama
