I wrote this email to the papers to correct misrepresentation of facts. Sadly as it is nowdays history has been screwed up to reflect only a sanitised view of things and subject to the powers that be i am truly sad!

Fwd: rebutting historical facts by Wan Abu Bakar Wan Teh Ibrahim‏
From: wan zaharizan (wanbozo@gmail.com)
Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2007 8:37:34 AM
To: wzahari@hotmail.com
---------- Forwarded message ----------From: wan zaharizan <wanbozo@gmail.com>Date: Oct 18, 2007 10:13 PM Subject: rebutting historical facts by Wan Abu Bakar Wan Teh IbrahimTo: "mailed@nstp.com.my" <mailed@nstp.com.my>
I REFER to your report ("Rasa Sayang ours too... we have right to sing it" -- NST, Oct 3) where some Indonesian personalities claimed Rasa Sayang as their song.

Something similar happened in respect of Negaraku. Just after Merdeka, Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman visited Indonesia and President Sukarno tried to claim that our national anthem was based on the Indonesian song Terang Bulan. The truth is that Negaraku and Terang Bulan have a common origin, but each evolved independently of the other. The origin was a song from the Seychelles, probably Rosalie, which was composed by a Frenchman, Beranger, in the late 19th century. At that time, Seychelles and Singapore were popular ports of call. Sailors on ships plying this route picked up the tune in Seychelles and brought it to Singapore. In Singapore, it was picked up by an Indonesian opera and included in its performance as Stambul Satu. When the opera returned to Indonesia, it introduced the tune there where it became known as Terang Bulan. Meanwhile, the ex-Sultan Abdullah of Perak was living in exile in Seychelles for being implicated in the assassination of Resident Birch. His son, Raja Chulan, visited him, picked up the song and introduced it to his brother, Raja Mansur. In 1888, Raja Mansur accompanied the new Sultan Idris of Perak to Britain as his aide de camp.
When a British official asked Raja Mansur for the Perak anthem, Raja Mansur hummed the song from the Seychelles. It was taken down by the bandmaster and played at the welcoming ceremony. Henceforth, it became the Perak anthem. When Malaysia was to achieve independence in 1957, a competition was held for a national anthem. The selection committee was not satisfied, so Tunku Abdul Rahman proposed using the Perak anthem. So we should be proud that Negaraku had a dignified royal lineage, and is not based on an Indonesian popular song.

Dear Sir

I am quite astounded by the above article. I think I need to correct historical inaccuracies that has been written by your reader. First thing Terang Bulan was a folk songs whose author as Rasa Sayang eh is not known. Yes presumeably it did originate from sychelles and Rosalie was one of the architect that arrange the song on paper! He is the arranger not the Composer! Raja mansur was the elder son of Sultan Abdullah, Raja Sir Chulan was the second son. YM raja Mansur at that time was the secretary to the Sultan. Raja Sir Chulan was appointed the Raja di Hilir of Perak the third in line to the throne.

When the late Sultan visited London before the war suddenly the band ask him what is the song of Perak, not wanted to be embarass he turn to his aide the camp Yang Mulia Raja Kamarulzaman the son of YM Raja Mansur who would later become the Raja di Hilir.Being a musician inclined he remember the tune of Terang Bulan thus he instructed the band to play the song. The lyrics to the tune was written by YM Raja Mansur later at the behest of the Sultan as the secretary to him so YM Raja Mansur was just the lyricist and credit must be given to his son YM Raja Kamarulzaman.

YM Raja Kamarulzaman's daughter is Raja Toh Puan Zaitun the former first lady of Malacca who married Tun Abdul Aziz the Governor of Malacca. His Grandson sometimes wrote article in the star in the social column as Mansur Tun Abdul Aziz. Please check the facts and verify with these people if what I say is true or not.

Folk songs are folk songs to deny that the Perak anthem and the National Anthem is not base on Terang Bulan is blasphemous. If I am not mistaken Terang Bulan tune is still bane to be played here but then again the tune of the song has metamorphose into what it is today. That heritage should be acknowledge but that doesn't mean we lessen the dignity of our Negaraku.

For your information my Great Grandmother was one of the wives of YM Raja Mansur!

Please refer to this link http://www.national-anthems.org/hist-malay-states.htm