S Atan was buried on Sunday morning at Sungai Kantan Muslim Cemetery in Kajang, Selangor – with multiple celebrities in attendance including musicians Jamal Abdillah and M Nasir.
Speaking to Malaysian news outlet Astro Awani, M Nasir paid tribute to S Atan: “In terms of composing, he was an expert…I was jealous of many of his songs because they were so good. I knew I couldn’t recreate them because they were born out of different situations.”
S Atan grew up in Geylang, and had worked as a conductor at Singapore Broadcasting Corporation’s Kalungan Nada Orchestra before joining EMI Malaysia as a composer. He had reportedly composed over 1,000 songs.
In October this year, S Atan was awarded a lifetime achievement award at Malaysia’s Berita Harian Popular Star Award for his contributions to the Malay music industry. During his acceptance speech, he thanked those who still treasured his works, saying: “This award is a motivation for artistes to continue pursuing their craft. I dedicate it to those who appreciate every single one of my works, including my supportive family…Please keep me in your prayers.”