Man behind Malaysia's rock icons tells of his 'salvation' in PAS

Harakahdaily

EXCLUSIVE ALOR SETAR, Feb 22: For the sake of his children, popular songwriter Mohd Hakim Lokman has decided that joining PAS would be the first step towards ensuring a better future for the next generation.

Better known as Bob Lokman, the man who was instrumental in the all-time Malay hit song "Isabella" popularised by leading rock band Search, said he was finding it increasingly difficult to bring up his children against a backdrop of moral crisis in the country's institutions.

“I feel there is a problem in the system of life. I want to educate my children in the Islamic way because they encounter problem in their education, in their interaction and in the social system they are in,” explained the bubbly Bob, speaking at length in a recent interview with Harakahdaily.

Bob, who won the Best Songwriter Award at then coveted Juara Lagu Awards in 1989, stole the limelight at a gathering organised by PAS youth in Kedah last weekend, handing over his PAS membership form to Kedah Menteri Besar, Azizan Abdul Razak (pic above).

While he may be best remembered for the chart-topping song "Isabella", Bob has had a colourful career in the local entertainment scene, managing such household singing sensations as Ramli Sarip, M Nasir and Hattan.

RECENT PAST ... Bob (middle) flanked by late comedian 'Din Beramboi' and actor producer Afdlin Shauki

During its early years, Bob also managed Wings, one of Malaysia's pioneer rock groups famous during the eighties and nineties, composing for it such songs as "Taman Rashidah Utama" and "Jerangkap Samar", among their other favourites which still linger on air due to their sheer popularity.

For many, however, Bob's latest move appears to be ideologically in contrast to his career, especially to a man who has been breathing rock music all his life.

But Bob sincerely believed that PAS had the right leaders who could guide him.

“Yes, I have always felt that I have failed to educate my children and I will go to hell," Bob confessed, uninhibited in telling that he longed for a kind of 'salvation'.

180 DEGREES TURN? ... PAS members listening attentively to Bob's story

"Because of that, I feel that I have no place to ask for help, I joined PAS because I feel there is a community which can guide me to the true path,” said Bob.

Coming from an industry which has often depended on political patronage as much as talent, Bob understood the risks involved, and such risks could be far from calculated.

But neither was he naive. When asked, Bob said he knew well the kind of repercussion he might face for joining an opposition party, saying that risks to his livelihood paled in comparison when he thought about the future of his children.

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