Photo from the archive shows Roznee presenting a radio request programme. Radio request shows were very popular during her time and she was the first radio announcer in Sarawak to do a live request telephone show with RTM Kuala Lumpur.
IN Sarawak’s radio broadcasting community, the late Roznee Chek left an enduring impression.
The name was synonymous with radio drama, back during the times when she graced Radio Malaysia Sarawak’s airwaves with her mesmerising voice and outstanding performance.
She was indeed the epitome of sophistication in radio drama production and acting.
Everyone used to listen to the radio prior to the development of social media. With her inherent talent, Roznee effortlessly captured her listeners’ attention and rose to fame.
She had established such a high standard for voice acting and radio drama in Sarawak, while becoming a radio star in her own right.
It is amazing that today, eight years after her passing, I am still in awe of her work and of course, of the woman herself.
As I write, it dawns on me that radio drama had somehow died a natural death on the airwaves after her retirement from the broadcasting department years before the rise of social media.
Attractive and bubbly
I first met Roznee when I was on my first day at work with the Malay Service, Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) in the mid-1970s. Having a lot in common, we just clicked and soon became the best of friends despite our age gap.
For one thing, Roznee had a great sense of humour, and she was indeed attractive and bubbly.
Roznee looking like a Malay movie star in this shot.
Popularly addressed as ‘Kak (Big Sister) Rud’, she was really like a big sister to those around her with her caring and congenial persona.
She was the head of the Drama Service then. In fact, she was the first woman in Sarawak to head a section in the Sarawak Broadcasting Department when the Drama Service was established in 1971.
Roznee, in her early 40s then, was simply exemplary when it came to work.
It was her natural talent in singing that first brought her to the local radio station.
I had the opportunity of hearing her singing an old Malay hit tune from an old tape.
She had long retired from singing then.
Roznee (left) with the writer in a photo taken in the late 1970s.
Singing talent
My mind immediately went to the late Kartina Dahari, a Singaporean singer and performer known as the ‘Queen of Keroncong’ from the 1950s to the 1980s.
Roznee’s nightingale voice reminded me of Kartina’s.
Roznee might have continued pursuing her other passion of singing if she was not so passionate about bringing dramas to the airwaves. She simply smiled cryptically when I questioned her about why.
Roznee was holding a temporary job in Telekom Sarawak when she became a part-time announcer at Radio Sarawak in the 1960s. With her talent, good radio voice and interest in broadcasting, she was later given the post of programme assistant at the station.
One of her best experiences was working in the broadcasting department; she would give her all to her work, which was undoubtedly a big win for Sarawak.
A place for herself had been discovered. Her significant work as a producer/director raised the bar for radio drama in the state, which was deserving of note.
Training at BBC London
At the height of her career, Roznee produced and directed a series of weekly dramas, all of which were a big hit with radio fans. Her work gained more credibility as a result of her training in radio production and broadcasting techniques at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in London in 1972.
Roznee seen during a training session at the BBC in London, in 1972.
Many people still remember her for her drama series ‘Siri Jenayah’ (Crime Series), where the sound effects, music, stories and actors never failed to create a suspenseful atmosphere for the listeners. Roznee was dubbed ‘Sarawak’s Alfred Hitchcock’ for the spine-chilling detective stories aired every Saturday night.
Then there was the fantasy series, ‘Drama Dalam Syair’ (Dramatic Play in Poems). Inspired by Malay folklores and legends, the fantasy series brought listeners back to the ancient times with classical Malay words and beautiful poetic narration.
Another photo of Roznee at work. She was dubbed ‘Sarawak’s Alfred Hitchcock’ for her spine-chilling detective series on radio.
Producer of family drama series
At the same time, Roznee also created and produced the family-friendly drama series, ‘Keluarga Murni’ (Murni’s Family) – reminiscent of the popular American television series, ‘The Waltons’ (1972-1981).
‘Keluarga Murni’ touched on current topics sending out messages on moral and family values.
Roznee’s creative ideas and imagination went beyond the box. Her love for broadcasting and the art of acting motivated her to go the extra mile as she unleashed her imagination.
In addition to her captivating and versatile radio voice, she was known for her successful years in drama production.
As far as work was concerned, she was a perfectionist. Her youngest son Abang Moasili Abang Abdul Samad concurred with my observation as we exchanged memories of his mother.
He is a senior English lecturer at i-CATS University and College in Kuching, as well as a part-time disc jockey and television newsreader for RTM.
In the 1970s and 1980s, he worked as a child voice actor for RTM under the name ‘A.S. Moasili’.
Like his mother, Abang Moasili was a gifted voice actor. Sharing the same passion, the two were very close.
In fact, he ‘grew up with radio’ for having an interest in acting since he was small. He saw how his mother worked in the drama studio.
For Abang Moasili, Roznee was his lifelong mentor.
The writer with Roznee’s youngest son, Abang Moasili, also involved in broadcasting like his mother.
A caring mentor to son
“Everything I do in broadcasting until today is because of her. She checked on my pronunciation, my pace – everything.
“When I was reading news on TV, she never failed to monitor and give her remarks.
“When she was already sleeping during the telecast, Dad would video the news for her and the next morning, she would give me the evaluation!” Abang Moasili chuckled.
“Mom was my personal tutor. She would say: ‘To be a broadcaster, you must pronounce the words correctly; don’t rush when you speak, people want to listen to the information you’re sharing…’ and all that.
“Up to this day, I’m still concerned with pronunciation, be it in English or Bahasa Malaysia.
“Even as a teacher, it’s so important to speak clearly and with the right pronunciation so that my students can understand better,” he stressed.
Determination and dedication
Roznee grabbed her listeners’ attention and gave them pleasure and satisfaction whilst sending out the right message through her drama production. But all this had been the result of her determination and dedication to the profession that she loved.
When it came to editing, she paid attention to even the smallest details. Her casting, directing, and synchronisation of the music and sound effects were all excellent.
She was completely focused on every popping sound, no matter how small.
“She was creative, imaginative and thorough. There were mornings when she would look for dry twigs around the house to bring to the studio for her to use as sound effect.
“When you walk on the twigs, it would sound like you’re walking in the jungle. She was very particular about achieving the right sound,” Abang Moasili remarked.
In her effort to develop new talents and promote the art of radio acting, Roznee did not turn down aspirants who did not pass their auditions for her programmes.
Often, she was filled with empathy for them. Seeing their enthusiasm, she did not give up on them.
But that was Roznee, a perfectionist with a kind heart.
“Because they wanted so much to be on radio, she brought them in and gave them small roles for a start, such as making sounds of footsteps and other required sound effects.
“She would gradually give them small parts in the dramas, and so it went,” recalled Abang Moasili.
Many still remember vividly the villains in her dramas. A classic example was the late Ali Razali, known for his subtle crude laugh. He played the bad guy so well that the people ‘hated’ him.
All the characters came alive whether it was the hair-raising ‘nenek kebayan’ (old witch) played by Rogayah Busrah, or the hero played by Awang Kesuma Jaya with Roznee herself as the heroine.
She had the flair for bringing to life her dramatic imagination. The only thing Roznee did not do as regards her drama production was write her own script, but she would work closely with the writers, particularly to discuss on the storyline, dialogues and ideas.
One of her favourite scriptwriters, Maliah Haji Shebli once commented: “With ‘Kak’ Roznee as the producer, I’m prepared to work harder because she is meticulous in her casting decisions, and her sound effects can inspire the listener’s imagination to go further.”
The accomplished dramatist, who had written over 400 radio drama scripts, found great satisfaction in working with Roznee.
“I love the way she gave people goosebumps, suspense and the feeling of anxiety especially in her detective series,” said Maliah.
She recalled writing one of her detective series for ‘Siri Jenayah’ titled ‘Menagih Darah Yang Tumpah’, roughly translated to ‘claiming the blood that had been spilled’.
“I had to sit down with the police many times to produce the script for eight episodes.”
Maliah retired from script-writing after Roznee retired.
She once said: “I may come back if there’s a producer like Kak Roznee.”
The whole of 1970s to the early 1980s had, indeed, been the golden days of radio drama when Roznee took the helm of the Drama Section of RTM Kuching.
Roznee in her office.
Cross-breed of Malay and Javanese
Roznee never disappointed her fans whether she was on or off the airwaves. Behind that alluring radio voice there was another beauty to be found.
The Malay mixed with Javanese was just as beautiful in person. She often reminded me of a pure Malay beauty like the legendary Malay film star of the 1950s and 1960s, Latifah Omar.
While Sarawak’s involvement in screen shows was still in its infancy, she had a share of the screen when she acted in some television dramas and movies, including ‘Opah’, ‘Melati Sarawak’, ‘Anak Sarawak’ and ‘Dayang Suhana’.
Her love for acting never faded away. As in her own words: “Sarawak’s future in the movie and television industry may be bleak and uncertain, it’s like we are going through a narrow road to get there, but the love for the art continues to grow within our soul.”
‘Unfulfilled dream’
For all her passion and success in radio broadcasting and drama, Roznee did not get to fulfil her desire to set up a film company. For all we know, she could have been a celebrated movie producer and director had she been young in this age of digital technology and social media.
In the end, she knew how to stop and enjoy a happy family life.
Yet, her love for the art lingered on even long after her retirement. Radio gave her the opportunity to do the things that she wanted to do and she did them with flying colours.
The date Dec 20, 2015, was a sad day for her close-knit family as well as for everyone who had been mesmerised by her voice, many of who are aged between 50 and 80 and even older.
The radio icon passed away at her home after a brief illness. She was 77 years old.