MALAYSIANS KINI | Peering from beneath his cap a number of times during the interview, it is apparent how Amirudin Hizadin is your average, shy, 23-year-old.

His short answers to questions were also proof of his shyness, or maybe he is simply a man of few words.

Or it could be that the shyness was acquired only recently, having been thrust into the limelight all of a sudden.

But to say he is merely average might not be so appropriate, after all now.

Amirudin’s song ‘Where have the 2.6 stars gone’ had gone viral almost instantaneously overnight, something which he did not expect.

Maybe it is the soothing melody, maybe it is the timely lyrics that resonated deeply with the common man on the street, but whatever it is, his song has successfully caught the attention of many.

Amirudin, who hails from Johor and was brought up in Kedah, currently studies 3D animation at KRU Academy, Cyberjaya.

The firstborn of five children, the singer-songwriter has always been into music since he was a child, picking up the guitar as his first musical instrument.

Believing that the country has its own remarkable talents, he cites local artists KRU, Too Phat, Hujan and Faizal Tahir as his inspiration.

No guitar activist

Although he plans to go further with 3D animation in the future, the youngster would accept the chance to become a recording artist if given an offer.

And should he become a recording artist one day, the theme of his songs would be of social criticism.

It is therefore not an exaggeration to compare his song to the likes of Bob Dylan’s whose songs chronicle social issues of his time.

And like Dylan, who has always brushed off suggestions that he spoke for his generation, Amirudin likewise said that his song was merely about his own grievances as a young adult.

The son of an architect and a petty trader, the country’s current economy is nothing but déja vu for Amirudin, citing the year 1998, when Malaysia was among the countries greatly affected in the Asian financial crisis.

Although he was only six at the time, Amirudin said he now understands perfectly the plight faced by his parents then.

“Even today, when my siblings want to buy things and my parents have their reasons not to allow them to buy those things…

“I understand it now. I now know how they feel all this while,” he said.

And for him, one of the saddest things is how his parents sometimes ask him not to return to their family home in Kedah due to the expensive fares.

“It saddens me sometimes when I want to return home and they say I shouldn’t because the fares are expensive.

“The thing that hinders our movements is not us but it’s because we can’t afford all these price hikes.

“No parent would want their child not to return home. But sometimes, because it is expensive to do so, not returning home becomes the better option.”

Pro-people, not party

As for his political inclinations, the youngster admitted that he is not a registered voter.

But he has valid reasons for this, as he was not yet 21 when the last general election took place.

Preferring a neutral stance for now, he believes that it did not matter which government was in power as long as the rakyat are happy with what they are supposed to receive.

He would also not reject invitations by political parties to perform as long as he could make time for it.

And what if BN invites him to its events?

“I wouldn’t mind going for it. But I think I know who would invite me,” he said knowingly.

Moving forward, he plans to start his own project, by way of a programme on YouTube .

“I also plan to hold a digital art festival because there has been no event where teenagers make their own short films.

“My friends and I are working on that. We hope that it will happen in February next year, insya’allah ,” he said.

As the interview ended and he prepared to leave Malaysiakini ’s office, Amirudin was requested to perform for the editorial team.

Again, his bashfulness was clear. But he definitely did not disappoint with his soulful singing.

And again, his shyness was evident when he flashed that shy smile of his at the end of the impromptu performance greeted with loud applause and appreciative table thumping.

 

 

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