Istana Budaya’s Traditional Orchestra To Make Malaysia Day Debut In Penang

By Erma Idayu Mohd Yusof

BUTTERWORTH, Sept 15(Bernama) -- For the first time, the Malaysian Traditional Orchestra (OTM) from Istana Budaya will showcase the harmony of Malaysia’s cultural diversity through a special performance at the Malaysia Day celebration at the PICCA@Arena Butterworth Convention Centre here tomorrow.

Carrying the message of unity in diversity, OTM’s performance is expected to be a main draw, featuring a unique blend of traditional instruments from the Malay, Chinese, Indian and Bornean communities, arranged in a professional orchestral format.

Conductor and music director Mohd Yazid Zakaria, 57, said it was an honour for OTM to be part of the national celebration, as recognition of their continuous efforts to elevate traditional music as a reflection of Malaysia’s multicultural identity.

“This is the first time OTM is involved in the Malaysia Day celebration and we are honoured to be given the opportunity to celebrate this historic day with Malaysians through music that reflects our cultural diversity.

“A total of 30 musicians of various races are involved, including backup singers, and we have been undergoing intensive rehearsals for four days to ensure the performance is of the highest quality,” he told Bernama at PICCA here.

Known as the ‘driving force' of OTM, Mohd Yazid said the orchestra’s strength lies in the musicians’ ability to read notations fluently, which allows for a structured and efficient rehearsal process.

He said OTM’s foundation is its multi-ethnic traditional music approach, with tomorrow’s performance intended to embody the spirit of unity built on Malaysia’s cultural diversity.

“OTM uses more than 30 traditional instruments, grouped into five sections: bowed strings such as the rebab, violin and erhu; plucked strings such as the gambus, sitar, yangqin, pipa and sape; gong-based instruments like gamelan, kulintangan and caklempong; wind instruments such as the seruling and serunai; and percussion including the rebana, tabla and geduk,” he said.

With extensive experience and dedication to preserving heritage music, he is confident OTM will continue to play a significant role in uplifting traditional arts and nurturing national unity through performances rooted in Malaysian cultural identity.

Mohd Yazid added that OTM remains the only orchestra of its kind, uniting Malaysia’s diverse traditional instruments to create a unique national musical identity while fostering harmony among the multi-racial community.

The 30-minute performance will be enhanced by well-known local artistes representing Malaysia’s main communities: Nor Zila Aminuddin or better known as Ella (Malay), Suki Low (Chinese), Roshini Balachandran (Indian), Rezza Shah (Sarawak) and Dabra Sia (Sabah).

Besides OTM, the opening act of the celebration will feature “Rentak Tradisi Pulau Mutiara,” a specially created showcase of Penang’s cultural heritage combining three iconic art forms — ‘Joget Joghee’, Penang Chinese Opera and Boria.

The new work will be performed by dancers from National Department for Culture and Arts, Adikarma (USM), Guru Shri Arul Manikam’s Indian Dance Troupe, the Teow Chew Opera Association Penang and Budayasar Boria Troupe.

Tomorrow’s Malaysia Day celebration, themed ‘Malaysia MADANI: Rakyat Disantuni’, will be attended by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim; Penang Governor Tun Ramli Ngah Talib; Sarawak Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Douglas Uggah Embas representing Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg; and Sabah Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Shahelmey Yahya representing Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.

The 2025 celebration is being hosted in Penang, following the annual rotation between Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia.

-- BERNAMA