Violinist Martin Looi considers himself a patriotic young man and felt that the best way to celebrate the 67th anniversary of Merdeka was by recording a unique version of the national anthem.

Aiming high, he approached the folk at KL Tower so he could play the special song from a record height closer to the clouds, which was a challenge given his battle with vertigo.

“I wanted to do something special and extraordinary this year for Merdeka.

“I also wanted to find out if I was afraid of heights and push past that boundary.

“What better place to test myself than the iconic KL Tower with its breathtaking view?” he told Malaysiakini.

Thus on Aug 14, he recorded a performance at 300m above ground level.

“I really wanted to commemorate the Malayan Declaration of Independence with the highest altitude violin performance of ‘Negaraku’ and I dedicate this performance to all fellow Malaysians, near and far.

“Happy Merdeka Day!” added Looi.

The Malacca native has two releases under his belt - “Maddy” (2022) and “Sugary” (2023) - and worked as a studio musician for the likes of Aubrey Suwito, Joe Flizzow, Vince Chong, and Jaclyn Victor.

He added that the performance was also special because this version of “Negaraku” was arranged and produced by his sister, Lav Looi, who tailored it specifically for his violin solo.

“For the performance, I got to wear a double-breasted bespoke suit featuring the colours of the Jalur Gemilang to symbolise the peace and harmony of the rakyat, designed by my team and me.

“My goal is to go beyond performance to a far higher calling in nurturing and inspiring other young talents.

“If you dream it, take action and achieve it,” the musician said.

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