By Zaki Salleh
IPOH: Allegations that students from a school in Perak sang the national anthem Negaraku in a language other than the national language are seen as an attempt to create confusion.
The Ministry of Education (KPM) issued a statement emphasizing that the song sung was not Negaraku as claimed by a political influencer.
Instead, it was Allah Lanjutkan Usia Sultan, the state anthem of Perak.
“This song is a symbol of loyalty, love, and respect for the Sultan of Perak Darul Ridzuan and the traditions of the Perak Sultanate.
“KPM regrets the viral video that attempts to confuse the public by claiming that Negaraku was sung in a language other than the National Language at an event held in a school in Perak.
“The video clearly shows that the students and all attendees sang Allah Lanjutkan Usia Sultan in Malay, following the correct lyrics,” according to the statement.
Meanwhile, Ipoh Echo / Peraktastic invites readers to reflect on the history of the state anthem of Perak.
The state anthem of Perak was created during the reign of Sultan Idris Murshidul’adzam Shah (Marhum Rahmatullah – 1887-1916), when His Majesty traveled to London to attend the coronation of Queen Victoria in 1888.
The melody is an adaptation of La Rosalie, a tune composed by the French composer Pierre Jean de Béranger (1780-1857).
La Rosalie was later translated into Malay in the 1920s and was given the name Terang Bulan by a noble group from the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), becoming popular in Malaya and Singapore.
The melody of Perak’s state anthem was later chosen as the melody for Malaysia’s national anthem, Negaraku, in 1957.
