Last August, the King asked veteran singer-songwriter DJ Dave to compose a patriotic song like the 36-year-old classic “Setia” (loyal or loyalty) that had soared like a second national anthem.
Dave said he was told to compose a song that encouraged people to abandon inequality and embrace each other as one.
He said: “The Agong stressed that loyalty made unity possible, and that it will only happen if we are aware that one people and one nation means we rise together as a people.
“Tuanku wanted the song to be first sung in Bahasa Melayu, followed by the singers, representing every major ethnic group, singing in their own dialect,” he said.
Dave said the King’s call for a song about harmony and stability came long before the unity government was formed, and marked the start of the making of “Setia Perpaduan” (loyal unity).
The upbeat “Setia Perpaduan” eventually became the theme song of the national unity week celebration, launched by Sultan Abdullah in Kuching last month.
It was composed by Dave, with lyrics by national laureate Professor Lim Swee Tin and musical arrangement by S Atan.
The song features 13 artistes from various ethnic groups, some of whom sing a line in the song in their own language.
The singers are Dave, Awie (Malay), Jaclyn Victor (Indian), Marsha (Dusun Sabah), Sabhi Saddi (Bajau Sabah), Suki Low (Chinese), Cikgu Asani (Orang Asli), As’Ad Motawh (Malay), Sissy Imann (Malay), Iesya Toh (mixed parentage), Bob (Bisaya Sarawak), Melissa Francis (Iban Sarawak), Hacharan Singh (Punjabi).
Dave said “Setia Perpaduan” had a transformative effect on people from all walks of life as ethnic instruments from different parts of the country were incorporated into the music.
They include a woodwind instrument called oboe from Kelantan, a string instrument called sape from Sarawak, Sabah’s famous seruling or flute, tabla, kompang, and the bhangra dhol.
Dave said he composed the song with Atan on the piano, and sent the melody to three lyricists, of whom Lim came back in two days with three versions.
“Tuanku chose the lyrics that conveyed the message that differences do not separate us, and even replaced some words which he felt would be easier for people to sing, and be easier on the ear,” he said.
Dave, 75, said he drew on the motivation of Sultan Abdullah during his four audiences with him, and used his 51 years of professional experience to get the job done in about four months.
“The artistes were excited about doing the song, and I must thank them for their contribution, which was actually a service to the nation.
“We were all pleased when Tuanku gave the thumbs-up to the song and to the video, and wanted the artistes to perform at the launch of the national unity week,” he said.
Dave hoped “Setia Perpaduan” will get more airtime, and be widely promoted at all levels of society, “because it’s one of Agong’s ideas to help bring people together in these divided times.”
He added: “It will also be nice for children to learn another language, and by singing such songs, people will inevitably come together.”
The 1987 gem “Setia” was aired so often by Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) that many learnt the lyrics just by listening to it.
The simplicity of the lyrics, penned by then information minister Mohamed Rahmat, gripped Malaysians.
Unity had always been important to Dave, whose first hit, Maafkanlah in 1972, was also about uniting people.
The song has a Chinese beat, an Indian melody and Malay lyrics, and is one of those tunes that bring back memories of Malaysians unified in the joint experience of togetherness.