Saidah Rastam is a lawyer-turned-musician who has composed music for martial artists, choral groups, Chinese opera singers, western orchestras and electronica. She has been music director for major productions at Singapore’s Esplanade Theatre, Tokyo’s Setagaya Theatre and Malaysia’s Istana Budaya. She has lectured in music at Malaysia’s National Arts Academy (now ASWARA), UiTM, CENFAD and the Multimedia University.
Her book on the beauty of Malayan music, Rosalie and Other Love Songs, was published in 2014 and republished in 2016. Malam Terang Bulan, a show she created on the origins of Malaysia’s national anthem, was staged in 2014 and 2015 at the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas to critical acclaim. Saidah trained as a barrister (Gray’s Inn) and was in practice for seven years. Saidah’s grandfather from Bertam, Abdul Hadi Hasan, wrote the first 3 volumes of Sejarah Alam Melayu, which were the first history books in the style of modern historiography written by a Malay writer.