First Encounter - Ramli Ibrahim Poem by john tiong chunghoo

Ramli Ibrahim
his advice that still caught my heart
'do what knocks on your heart'

Ramli is the foremost exponent of Indian classical dance, bharata natyam and Odissi in Malaysia. For more than 35 years, he has indulged in the arts, though controversial to his faith, Islam. Muslims think the dances of hinduistic elements are in contradiction to the tenets of Islam. However to Ramli, who has an engineering degree from Australia thinks the art is close to his heart and that he cannot live without choosing it as a profession.

Ramli was named the recipient of the 2004 Boh Cameronian Lifetime Achievement Award, the most prestigious arts award to those promoting the theatre and arts in Malaysia.

The first time I met Ramli was in Kuala Lumpur some 25 years ago. He was then a young man still in a dilemma as to whether to be a dancer or an engineer. He somewhat sensed I should be doing something what I really wanted too and gave me a similar advice.

Ramli this May and June organised the first Odissi dance festival in Kuala Lumpur featuring a series of interesting workshops, exhibitions, and performances of Odissi dancers from around the world.