Getting to Know Hamdan Senario, a Native of Batu Gajah
Who doesn't know the group Senario? Just mentioning the name Senario, almost everyone, not only in Malaysia but across Southeast Asia, is quite familiar with this number one comedy group that is loved by many. They were very popular in the 90s. Today, we would like to introduce you to one of the members of the Senario group, named Ahmad Hamdan Bin Mohamed Ramli.
On March 8, 2018, our team from orangperak.com had the opportunity to meet Mr. Hamdan in Bercham Raya, Ipoh, to gather information about his life before becoming an artist and his journey as a member of the Senario group. This was a very sweet memory for us, as we were able to chat with one of the original members of Senario, whom we had previously only seen on television.
For the information of our loyal readers at orangperak.com, Ahmad Hamdan Bin Mohamed Ramli was a native of Perak, born in Batu Gajah on September 1, 1969. He was the fourth of eight siblings. Better known as Hamdan Senario, he was one of the members of the Senario group.
Ahmad Hamdan Bin Mohamed Ramli, who was born in Batu Gajah, Perak, received his early education around Ipoh. For his primary education, he attended Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Sri Kinta, and he later continued his secondary education at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Seri Putra.
When Ahmad Hamdan Bin Mohamed Ramli reached the age of 18, roughly after finishing school, you might not know that this Senario member was initially active in modeling. However, it did not last long, and Ahmad Hamdan Bin Mohamed Ramli later moved to Kuala Lumpur and worked as a crew member, sound dubbing engineer, and editor at Home Video Distributor (HDV) located in Damansara Utama.
In 1988, while working as an editor at Home Video Distributor (HDV), Ahmad Hamdan Bin Mohamed Ramli happened to share a room with Azmeer. Mr. Hamdan, who loved singing as a hobby, often sang casually in the office, to the point where his voice was heard by the staff there and by Azmeer.
Consequently, he was offered by Azmeer to sing on a track for an RTM telemovie in 1989 titled 'Aku Cinta Padamu'. This was the first step and the first time Ahmad Hamdan Bin Mohamed Ramli set foot in the entertainment industry, which happened quite accidentally and unexpectedly.
After several years of wandering in Kuala Lumpur, Ahmad Hamdan decided to quit his job at Home Video Distributor (HDV) and return to Ipoh, Perak. In 1991, Ahmad Hamdan Bin Mohamed Ramli worked as a vehicle registration clerk for AH Motor, based in Taiping, and he was stationed at a branch in Ipoh, Perak.
Ahmad Hamdan Bin Mohamed Ramli eventually found his soulmate, a girl from Batu Kurau, Perak, and they were married in 1993. This was the moment Hamdan met Ilya and Wahid, who were both colleagues of Hamdan's wife as cultural artists at the Perak State Secretary's office.
Hamdan and his wife were blessed with four children, three of whom were boys and one a girl. In 1994, Hamdan changed careers again by quitting his job as a vehicle registration clerk for AH Motor and becoming a car jockey at Hotel Syuen Ipoh.
Freddie Aziz, editor of orangperak.com, with Hamdan Senario
Not stopping there, in 1995, Ahmad Hamdan Bin Mohamed Ramli changed careers once again to become a delivery person for the company Nationwide. The main route he covered included the area around Ipoh up to the Sungai Siput River area. That was his daily routine to earn an honest living to support his family.
In 1995, there was a reality television program that was very popular throughout Malaysia, none other than the show 'Sinaran Pasport Kegemilangan'. For the information of our loyal readers at orangperak.com, 'Sinaran Pasport Kegemilangan' was a competition to discover talent among those gifted in the arts throughout Malaysia. It was first broadcast on TV3 in 1994, with the first season won by Shamsul Ghau Ghau.
The focus of the 'Sinaran Pasport Kegemilangan' show changed; for example, in the first two seasons, it focused more on comedy, compared to the third and fourth seasons, which focused more on singing. So, during the second season, Illya, who was a friend of Hamdan, invited him to join the reality program because of Hamdan's talent for singing.
So, the two of them planned and decided to find one more individual to complete the three participants in a group. This was the beginning of selecting Wahid, who became the final piece for the three of them to form a great group. The 'Sinaran Pasport Kegemilangan' audition in the Ipoh area at that time was held at Hotel Syuen Ipoh. When the three of them arrived for the audition, they were required to provide a group name that they had never thought of before.
Therefore, the group name 'Serba Salah' was given by Ahmad Hamdan himself when Illya and Wahid were stumped looking for ideas for their group name on the day of the audition. Ahmad Hamdan Bin Mohamed Ramli, who at that time was feeling 'serba salah' (conflicted/at a loss), immediately suggested using 'Serba Salah' as their group name, and the suggestion was immediately agreed upon by Illya and Wahid.
Thanks to hard work and prayers from their families, the three of them from the group Serba Salah finally succeeded in winning 'Sinaran Pasport Kegemilangan' in 1995. Some time after that, the group Senario was formed, which was the result of a combination of the winner (Shamsul Ghau Ghau) and the runner-up (Lan Pet Pet) of the first season of 'Sinaran Pasport Kegemilangan', and the winner of the second season, the group Serba Salah.
Today, Hamdan Senario is still active in the world of arts and acting. Truly, he is a friendly person and easy to talk to. Behind his cheerfulness, there were many challenges, obstacles, and trials that were not told to you in the effort to provide entertainment that is beneficial and carries a message to Senario's loyal fans, where ideas had to be squeezed out for new sketches every week. He also gave much life advice to the editor of orangperak.com when we met him.
In 2014, the group Senario was awarded the 'Anugerah Komedi Sepanjang Zaman' (Comedy Award of All Time). All members of the Senario group attended the Anugerah Lawak Warna 2014 together to receive the recognition. Thank you for being willing to entertain our requests to meet and share this information for the loyal readers of orang Perak.
Hamdan passed away on January 5, 2024, at Sultanah Aminah Hospital, Johor Bahru, due to a blood infection. His passing left sadness for fans, fellow artists, and his family. However, his name and talent remain part of Malaysian entertainment history. Every sketch, film, and performance he did with Senario becomes an artistic legacy that can be appreciated by current and future generations.
