This video is in English. Scroll down for the Malay, Tamil and Mandarin versions.
Three Malaysian leaders. Three songs. Three very different styles!
Najib Razak, Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Anwar Ibrahim take the microphone in three memorable musical moments. Enjoy “The Young Ones”, “My Way” and “Sampaikan Salam Cintaku”, with Anwar joined by Alleycats legend David Arumugam.
This light-hearted FindingOut Malaysia compilation brings together performances from different years and events. “Three Prime Ministerial Tenors” is a playful title, rather than a technical classification of their voices. The three leaders were not performing together in a joint concert.
Track 1 — Najib Razak: Young at Heart
“The Young Ones” · Putrajaya · 10 November 2016
First up is Najib, the youngest of our three singers. “The Young Ones” seems a fitting choice: a microphone, a familiar tune and a little musical diplomacy.
The song’s meaning and background: The title points to youth, while the song celebrates love and making the most of the present. Associated with Cliff Richard and The Shadows, it is the title song from the film The Young Ones and a familiar part of their early-1960s repertoire. It was written by Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett, as listed in the songwriting credits. The soundtrack also appears in Cliff Richard’s official discography.
The moment in the video: Najib sings at a dinner for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte at Seri Perdana in Putrajaya on 10 November 2016. The footage is credited to RTVM / Presidential Communications, Philippines, and was published by Rappler as “Duterte, Najib bond over singing at dinner”. A well-known pop tune gives this official occasion a relaxed musical interlude.
Watch Najib’s performance from 0:21 →
Track 2 — Dr Mahathir Mohamad: Doing It His Way
“My Way” · Malam SAHOCA, Kuala Lumpur · September 2015
Next, Dr Mahathir. His choice of song needs no introduction. Whatever you think of his politics, he certainly did things his way. Sing it, Tun!
The song’s meaning and history: “My Way” is a retrospective: a singer looks back on life, its choices and its regrets, with a sense of independence. Paul Anka wrote the English lyrics for Frank Sinatra, whose recording was released in 1969. The melody comes from the French song “Comme d’habitude” — “As Usual” — credited to Jacques Revaux, Claude François and Gilles Thibaut. Anka’s English words tell a different story from the French original. Anka’s own account explains how he wrote with Sinatra’s voice and outlook in mind.
The moment in the video: Mahathir performs at Malam SAHOCA in Kuala Lumpur in September 2015. Astro Awani’s contemporary report identifies his choice of “My Way”, notes Siti Nurhaliza’s participation and records that the gathering also celebrated his 90th birthday. SAHOCA is the alumni association of Sultan Abdul Hamid College in Alor Setar. The report links the performance recording used as the source.
Watch Mahathir’s performance from 1:23 →
Track 3 — Anwar Ibrahim: Sending His Love
“Sampaikan Salam Cintaku” · Shah Alam · January 2019
Finally, Anwar brings a little romance to the microphone. “Sampaikan Salam Cintaku” means “Send my love”, and he is joined by the legendary singer from Alleycats. Quite a musical duo!
The song’s meaning and background: The Malay title can also be rendered more literally as “Convey my loving regards.” It carries an affectionate message to someone missed. The Alleycats recording dates to 1986; the recording credits name Hamdan Atan (A. Ali) as composer, Juwie as lyricist and M. Nasir as arranger. David and Loganathan Arumugam are credited as vocalists on that recording.
The moment in the video: At a PKR gala dinner in Shah Alam in January 2019, David Arumugam invited Anwar to join him in a duet. mStar’s report describes the audience’s applause and notes that Dasya Logan, daughter of the late Loganathan Arumugam, also accompanied the performance. This was before Anwar became prime minister. Footage is credited to The Star / Star TV.
Watch Anwar and David Arumugam from 2:24 →
For more of Anwar’s musical appearances, explore Prime Minister Anwar’s Mixtape — Across Three Musical Worlds.
Watch in Malay, Tamil or Mandarin
There are four versions of this compilation. The English video is at the top of the page; the Malay, Tamil and Mandarin versions are below. Each uses narration and presentation in the selected language, while the singing excerpts retain their original recorded sound.
Which Performance Made You Smile?
Three prime ministers. Three songs. Three different styles. Which performance made you smile the most? Tell us in the comments, like the video, and subscribe to FindingOut Malaysia for more stories with a different tune. Keep the comments friendly — the vote here is about singing!
Sources & Editorial Note
The linked reports, footage and music credits provide the event context and song background. The dates refer to the individual performances; this compilation brings together separate occasions. The short explanations above describe the songs’ themes without reproducing their lyrics.
The narration and illustrated cards were created with AI assistance. The singing excerpts retain the recorded performances; the illustrations are creative artwork, not documentary photographs. No endorsement by the people, artists, broadcasters or organisations shown is implied.
Background music beneath the narrated cards: “Monkeys Spinning Monkeys” by Kevin MacLeod, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0. The track was trimmed, faded and mixed beneath narration. It was not added over the original singing performances.
Production, editorial presentation and compilation: FindingOut Malaysia. Rights in third-party footage, songs, performances and recordings remain with their respective owners. The Creative Commons licence above applies to the background track only. Source credits identify the material used and do not imply ownership or permission.