Most beautiful recognition in 50 years in entertainment - Hail Amir

The artiste, who shot to fame with the song "Wajah Kesayangan Hamba", said the award was a great honour and he wished to share his happiness with his loyal fans.

"I feel overwhelmed by this appreciation. A million thanks to all who still remember me and are fans of this man known as Hail Amir," he told Bernama here today.

He started his career as a cultural dancer at Badan Budaya under the Youth and Sports Ministry in the early 70s.

He was then offered a leading role in his first film, "Jiwa Remaja", alongside Uji Rashid and Datuk Yusof Haslam. His other films include "Menanti Hari Esok"; "Ribut Barat"; and "Anita Dunia Ajaib".

He burst onto the scene with "Wajah Kesayangan Hamba" after his singing talent was discovered by composer Datuk Ahmad Nawab

The father of four from Penang is still actively accepting singing stints.

He has produced 12 albums and is also famous for his duets with Uji Rashid.

Among their popular duets are "Menunggu Nasi Minyak"; "Antara Matamu dan Mataku"; "Asmara Bergelora" and "Seloka Hari Raya".

Hail was among 59 people who received the Panglima Mahkota Wilayah (PMW) award, which carries the title Datuk, in conjunction with the 2022 FT Day at Istana Negara here today.

Others who received the PMW included Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Idris Ahmad, paralympics long jumper Abdul Latif Romly and former national diver Leong Mun Yee.