Late artist Sudirman Arshad's estate receives over RM367,000 in royalties

The estate of the renowned Malaysian artist, the late Datuk Sudirman Arshad, has been paid RM367,305.19 in royalties by Universal Music Malaysia. The payment was handed over to his nephew, Razman Azrai Zainuddin, also known as Atai, on Friday.

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We took almost two years to manage all the royalty statements. Together with Atai, we also appointed an audit firm to review the accounts.

Kim Lim, Managing Director of Universal Music Malaysia, stated that the process of settling the royalties took nearly two years due to the extensive verification required. This included a detailed audit of accounts and royalty statements in collaboration with Sudirman's heirs. "We took almost two years to manage all the royalty statements. Together with Atai, we also appointed an audit firm to review the accounts," Lim explained at a press conference honoring Sudirman's legacy.

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The period for royalty payment is difficult to determine because there are several unclear matters in Sudirman's original contract with EMI Music Malaysia.

Lim noted that determining the exact period for royalty calculation was complex, partly due to ambiguities in Sudirman's original contract with EMI Music Malaysia. Universal Music Malaysia has also updated the contracts for Sudirman's music catalog to align with the current music industry landscape, specifically incorporating digital royalties, which were not part of the previous agreements. "Sudirman's contract with EMI Music Malaysia had expired as stipulated in the original agreement. Therefore, we are introducing a new contract that includes digital royalties and various forms of work usage today, including royalties that the late artist's family will continue to enjoy," she added.

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Sudirman's contract with EMI Music Malaysia had expired as stipulated in the original agreement. Therefore, we are introducing a new contract that includes digital royalties and various forms of work usage today, including royalties that the late artist's family will continue to enjoy.

Atai expressed his gratitude for Universal Music Malaysia's cooperation, which significantly eased the royalty settlement process. "After seeing the sincerity and vision brought by Universal Music Malaysia, we felt the family absolutely had to give full cooperation," Atai said. He acknowledged the lengthy process, involving multiple parties and requiring input from other heirs and legal counsel before decisions were made.

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After seeing the sincerity and vision brought by Universal Music Malaysia, we felt the family absolutely had to give full cooperation.