Gov't to set up P Ramlee Foundation for artistes

The government will be setting a foundation called Yayasan Seniman P Ramlee to assist artistes carry out their activities besides looking into their welfare, said Information, Communications and Culture Minister Rais Yatim.

He when an artiste fell sick, sometimes there was no one to help him or her despite having a big fan base, like what happened once to the late P Ramlee (left), who later became an icon in the local movie scene.

"It is only right we name the foundation after him, it can help artistes make their mark whether they are composers, actors, singers or those engaged in martial arts," he said when opening the Artistes Day 2012 celebration at Astaka Tasik Titiwangsa in Kuala Lumpur tonight.

Rais said for a start, the foundation would receive an allocation of RM1 million, with RM500,000 contributed by Yayasan Al-Bukhary and the balance from the government.

"We will also look for more sponsors and I will proposes that all contributions be made tax exempt," he said.

Rais also announced an allocation of RM3 million for the setting up of a P Ramlee chair at the Centre for Artistic Research Excellence and Scholarship at Akademi Seni dan Warisan Negara (Aswara), specifically for research related to the performing arts and heritage.

"Aswara will provide the facilities for academic and practical studies for further honing of the performing arts so that the Malaysian creative industy can emerge as a key economic driver for the country," he said.

At the function, a total of 42 leading figures from the performing arts and cultural fields were recognised with various awards while seven children of artistes who did well in the Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR), Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) and Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) were also rewarded to encourage them to continue their pursuit of excellence.

- Bernama