“We would actually be ‘watching’ the radio. Can you imagine that?” Hasham tells FMT Lifestyle.

“Sunday was the only day we would have a baked Western lunch. Then we would all sit in front of the radio and wait for the Colgate Palmolive Hour. They had all these wonderful plays!”

“Radio introduced drama to the Malaysian population,” his wife, actor-director Faridah Merican chimed in.

“One of the most popular radio dramas back in the day was ‘Kebun Pak Awang’. It was a series that seemed to go on forever. And it was greatly loved!”

Those were the days before television and online streaming, when radio was king. Among the first modern forms of broadcasting, radio revolutionised the world, bringing entertainment and information into households in an almost magical way.

In conjunction with World Radio Day today, arts practitioners Faridah and Hasham, shared their memories of the peak period of Malaysian radio, around the 1950s-70s.

While many local arts lovers may associate them with theatre, both founders of Actors Studio Malaysia started off in radio.

Faridah began her career with Radio Malaysia Penang in the late 1950s. When she moved to Kuala Lumpur, she worked as a teacher, and a freelance newsreader and announcer at Radio Malaysia until the 1990s.

Many remember her for her time on “Voice of Malaysia”, the station’s flagship international shortwave radio service.

Hasham also credited radio work for shaping his acting career. In 1968, a graduate of Sydney’s National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA), his agent got him a part on “Blue Hills”, a renowned Australian radio serial.

“I was only supposed to be there for a couple of episodes. But they liked my character, so they extended my time there for about 12 months. It was wonderful,” Hasham said. He worked with Rod Taylor, John Meillon, Marshall Crosby, Queenie Ashton and June Salter, all top Australian radio stars of the 1970s.

Then there was Rediffusion, an early cable radio service in the 50s and 60s: this was a box that could broadcast in four languages! It was also the country’s introduction to deejay Patrick Teoh.

Working in radio was not always easy. As Faridah’s programme was from 6am-10am, this meant driving to the station at 5.30am. It was common to finish work at midnight, as she freelanced as well. Still, it was a time she recalls fondly.

“What I love is that you don’t have to dress up for radio. Radio doesn’t care how old you are, or if you’re wearing makeup. You can just throw on a jacket with shorts underneath, like many of us did at the time, and just speak! With radio, you can truly be yourself,” Faridah laughed.

What she enjoyed most, however, was the camaraderie. Those were the days when Ronnie Atkinson, Constance Haslam, Alan Zechariah, Bosco D’Cruz, Leslie Dawson, and other giants were part of radio’s colourful landscape.

“Another name on Radio Malaysia at the time was John Machado. Big name, wonderful voice,” Faridah recalled.

“And the Malay sports commentators. You had people like Rahim Razali, Noor Nikman Dadameah, Zulkarnain Hassan. Just superb,” Hasham added.

When the medium particularly shone was during special events, such as the Olympics and major football matches. Then, people would sit around the radio, enraptured by the announcer’s voice as events were described.

Faridah remembers listening to a Thomas Cup final in Genting Highlands with her late first husband and friends.

“It was exciting. Like nothing else. I wish people would go back to the radio, treating it like it was something magic in their lives,” she said fondly.

Radio still has a presence today: many tune-in when driving, and podcasts and audio dramas are gaining popularity. The duo professes however, that they aren’t too familiar with new forms of media.

The pair still keep a radio by their bed, which they listen to faithfully, especially at night.

“The one thing I hope for Malaysian radio is that they have more live talkback programmes, where listeners can call in and speak their minds. I think that will encourage more Malaysians to voice their feelings and opinions,” Hasham said.

“Once you’re a radio person, you’re always a radio person,” Faridah mused. “There really was nothing else like it.”