National Artiste (Seniman Negara) and renowned composer Ahmad Nawab died today at his home in Taman Melewar, Gombak.

He was 92.

His granddaughter Teh Suraya Nasir Khan said Ahmad, whose full name was Ahmad Khan Nawab Khan, died at about 3.15 pm.

“He wasn’t suffering from any illnesses, but he had been running a fever for the past two or three days. Alhamdulillah, he passed away peacefully,” she told Bernama when contacted.

Teh Suraya said her grandfather would be buried at the Raudhatul Sakinah KL-Karak Muslim cemetery tomorrow morning.

Starting his music career at the age of 16, Ahmad was conferred the Seniman Negara award by the Ministry of Culture, Arts, and Heritage in 2006.

Throughout his career, Ahmad produced more than 200 albums performed by local and Indonesian artists such as Hetty Koes Endang and Broery Marantika.

He composed the iconic “Malaysia Truly Asia” song, performed by Khadijah Ibrahim, which became a hallmark of tourism-themed songs to promote Malaysia on the global stage.

Ahmad, who served with the RTM Orchestra for 17 years, won numerous awards, including the Anugerah Merak Kayangan (Best Song) for his first composition, “Bintang Malam”, in 1980.

In recognition of his expertise and achievements, he received an honorary doctorate in Writing from Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in 2000.

The prime minister said that the country had lost an iconic figure whose immense contributions enriched the nation’s musical landscape.

He added that Ahmad’s works and contributions were not only an artistic legacy but also a unifying force within Malaysian society.

“I received the news of the passing of national artiste Ahmad Khan Nawab Khan with profound sadness.

“Ahmad was not just a distinguished composer and musician but also the soul of Malaysian artistry, whose poetic and meaningful creations touched the hearts of millions. His contributions will always be remembered as those of a legend beyond compare,” Anwar wrote in a Facebook post today.

- Bernama