Silver Screen Star ... Wahid Satay.

I took Mak's hands and quickly descended the steps of the TV Theatre to where Pak Wahid Satay was seated with his beloved wife. Fortunately for me, there were no one there to cajole or congratulate Pak Wahid, and I immediately took that opportunity to ask him for a photo. He obliged willingly taking out his trophy from the blue box.

Anugerah Perdana Emas, the most prestigious award of Pesta Perdana that honours an individual for his or her lifetime contribution to the world of television, radio, music or movies was presented to Pak Wahid Satay, a silver screen star of the 1950s and 1960s. Despite knowing that he will be receiving the award some three weeks before the show, one cannot deny the elatedness in his expression and words. When his name was announced, he kissed his wife on her cheek on national tv, much to the applause and standing ovation of the audience at the theatre. In his acceptance speech, he was too overjoyed to be totally coherent and after he left the podium, he was dancing cheekily on stage and the camera managed to catch him with his antics.

According to the Straits Times, this 77 year old actor was lauded as the Jerry Lewis of Malaya, thanks to the slapstick humour in many Cathay-Keris black-and-white films of that era. Among his film credits would be Chelorong Chelorong, Jula Juli Bintang Tujuh, Badang, Bawang Putih Bawang Merah, Che Mamat Parang Tumpul, Pontianak, Anak Dara, and many more. Perhaps (and I've yet to check this out) it was through the film Satay, that earned him the tag Wahid Satay as we know him today. Born Abdul Wahid Ahmad, he is just one of a handful silver screen stars that is still living in Singapore. Among his comrades is S Samsudin, one of the Bujang Lapuk trio, in which I still adore to this day. Others that I know and making Singapore their home includes the First Queen of "Air Mata" (tears) Neng Yatimah. We also have the anggun Hashimah Yon, whom I remembered as the lady who was killed in an accident in Anakku Sazali, because Sazali (P Ramlee) refused to marry her after having her. Then of couse, we have another actress Salmah Ibrahim, and Zainon (Fiji) who has left the limelight.

I hope that there could be more awards, or events to honour these silver screen stars for what we have now - tv stars and not movie stars - pales in comparison to the contribution that they have made to our local film scene during their time. Have the Singapore Film Festival forgotten them? Just because they are not Zoe Tay or Fann Wong or Gurmit Singh for that matter. But they do matter.