The Man Doesn't Sing No More

Last Saturday I was lucky to be able to attend the Jaringan 11 Hi-Tea at the Wisma DBKL in Kuala Lumpur. "Jaringan 11" is a networking fraternity of the 11th batch of students -- the Class of '72 -- of Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Ipoh. It was exciting and the atmosphere was full of anticipation because the organisers had announced earlier that many of our long lost brothers were attending for the first time after more than three decades!

The gathering was also held to honour two of our Jaringan members who were made datuks recently. One was Dato' Fadzil Khir (refer my earlier posting titled "New Dato on the Block") and the other was Datuk Nasir Ahmad who was awarded the title just a couple of weeks before the Hi-Tea took place. There are already several datuks in the fraternity; a few more datuks on the Jaringan and they'd be able to form a splinter group.

I was more excited in meeting Dex, my former dorm-mate and classmate who taught me how to play the guitar. I still can't play the guitar until now but that has nothing to do with him at all. Dex was a very talented singer and musician who could play any song just by listening to it once. I remember how I used to take a small transistor radio to his place whenever I heard my favourite songs playing and Dex would give me the complete chords immediately after the song ended. All these while putting on our school uniforms, getting ready for class.

There was an inter-class talentime competition in 1971 when we were in Form Four. Our class was represented by Dex, Nasir Ahmad (now Datuk), Azimuddin Mohd Isa and another person who I can't quite recall. A few week before the competition, Dex would sneak to the assembly hall after class and play around with the school piano. The group surprised everyone during the competition when Dex rolled out the old piano and started playing as if he had been playing it all his life. The group won, of course.

I met Dex again in Subang Jaya where he ran an advertising company during the late 80s. I noticed that he has an electronic keyboard in his office. "Music makes the soul tender, everyone should learn to appreciate and play music," he told me back then. It sort of whacked me in the face because I still could not play the guitar.

So when the MC invited Dex to sing us a song during the Hi-Tea, I could sense even the DBKL Enforcement Combo boys anticipated that they were going to accompany a guru, a musical pundit. A moment of silence fell among the crowd of old classmates as Dex walked over to the microphone. I remember I sat frozen, gripping on the edges of my chair waiting to be overwhelmed by nostalgia of the good old days.

Then he spoke: I'm sorry, friends. That was history. I don't sing anymore.

What a disappointment! He is not Shamsuddin "Dex" Long anymore, he even changed his name to Shariff Shamsuddin Long now. Eventhough Kamal livened up the party with his rendition of a Jamal Abdillah number and Datuk Mohd Noor ended the function with "My Way", the gathering would have been memorable if Dex had sung. For old time's sake.


1986 GATHERING.
Back Row: Pakcik (second from left); Front Row: Yours Truly (second from left), Dex (centre), Jatt (far right). The rest are juniors -- been there, can't remember the names though.