More than 2,000 people filled Dewan Tun Canselor, MMU Cyberjaya for Orkestra Tradisional Malaysia (OTM): Sounds of Malaysia, held in conjunction with the national month celebration on 27 August 2025. The evening was made especially memorable by a violin performance from former MMU Chancellor and Ibu Universiti, Tun Dr. Hasmah Mohamad Ali, who shared the stage with Biduanita Negara, Dato’ Sri Siti Nurhaliza.
MMU was honoured to be the first university to host the programme this year, an initiative by Istana Budaya (IB) aimed at bringing the richness of traditional Malaysian music to campuses nationwide. Distinguished guests in attendance included Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad; MMU Chancellor, Tun Zaki Tun Azmi; MMU President, Prof. Dato’ Dr. Mazliham Mohd Su’ud; as well as representatives from IB and other notable figures.
The evening opened with a heartfelt poem recitation by Prof. Mazliham. The showcase was presented in two segments: the first highlighted the OTM musicians and dancers from Artis Tari Istana Budaya (ARTISTANA) performing alongside MMU’s own talents such as the Ebee Vocal Group, Silat Cekak Pusaka Hanafi, Wushu Club, Rentak Dance Group, Chinese Orchestra Society, and the University Peer Group. The second segment spotlighted celebrated artistes, including Bob Yusof.
Under the direction of conductor Mohd Yazid Zakaria, the orchestra combined 23 OTM musicians, seven from the National Symphony Orchestra (NSO), two guest musicians and four backup singers. A total of 19 musical pieces were presented, ranging from traditional Malaysian melodies and Malay classics to western compositions and contemporary pop, featuring instruments such as the sape, serunai, gambus, tabla, caklempong, sitar and guzheng. The night concluded with the singing of patriotic songs, which further heightened the spirit of the Merdeka celebration.
In addition, OTM held workshops for MMU students, including the Kelantan Wayang Kulit Music Workshop and the Caklempong Workshop, offering students hands-on exposure to Malaysia’s traditional art forms on 25 August 2025. The partnership with IB not only celebrated Malaysia’s cultural heritage but also gave the MMU community a chance to experience the arts in a meaningful way. MMU is grateful to IB for bringing this programme to our campus and for sharing in the effort to keep our traditions alive.
