Having lived in Malaysia for more than 14 years, UAE-born Arab artiste Naseem Sultan wanted to share his feelings about the country in his own way.
Hence, he came up with the song Aku Cinta Malaysia, which was released on Aug 24, coinciding with his birthday.
The Emirati also timed the song’s release for August in the hope that it would be relevant for both National Day and Malaysia Day.
What makes the song unique is that it features both Arabic and Malay lyrics, as well as a blend of Malay and Middle Eastern sounds.
The Malay parts were written by Malaysian singer-songwriter and producer Yasin Sulaiman, while the Arabic parts were written by Naseem.
Yasin also served as the producer of the song.
In a press statement, Naseem shared what it meant to him to perform a patriotic song as a foreign-born artiste.
“I am proud that I can express my love for Malaysia in both Malay and Arabic,” he said.
“I hope this will be remembered as a meaningful moment – not only for me, but as an example of how music can connect Malaysia with the Arab world.”
The idea for the song started in 2019 between Naseem and his brother, Sam Sultan. Recording began in 2020, but the Covid-19 pandemic hit and interrupted the project.
The song was subsequently put on the back burner, until Naseem decided to revive it as a way of saying thank you to the country that has become his home.
Now that he has released his first Malay song, Naseem is hoping to release more Malay numbers, starting with Money Money Yalla.
The song follows the journey of a foreigner in Malaysia and his friends as they explore different jobs, challenges and opportunities while trying to build a better future in the country.
Another song he has scheduled for release is Nothing From You, an English-Arabic number.
He is also in the midst of developing another song with a Malaysian artiste whose identity he is not revealing just yet.
In the press release, Naseem said he wants to continue developing original work that Malaysian audiences can recognise as “sincere, respectful and connected to their lives”.
“Aku Cinta Malaysia is not the end of that journey – it is the first chapter.”
