Special-needs Children The 'Source Of Strength’ For DJ Dave

By Bernama Lifestyle Reporter

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 (Bernama) -- It's not the cakes or gifts that matter for veteran artiste Datuk DJ Dave, but the laughter and smiles of children who are often neglected by society that hold a special place in his heart each time he celebrates his birthday.

The 78-year-old, whose real name is Irwan Shah Abdullah, has continued this tradition for more than five decades, sharing his joy with special-needs children he describes as the source of strength throughout his life and career.

"This is the only thing that gives me the drive to carry on living and sharing the joy with them. Each time I see the joy on their faces, I feel even more grateful for my life,” he said during his recent birthday celebration here.

At the function, about 70 special-needs children from several Klang Valley welfare homes were treated to various activities, including singing performances, a cake-cutting ceremony, horse riding and gift presentations.

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The popular singer of evergreen hits like ‘Ingin Bersua’ and ‘Menjelang Hari Raya’ said he had only failed to entertain the special-needs children once in the past 55 years due to health reasons.

The father of three said the motivation to entertain special-needs children began even before he made a name for himself as a singer, after receiving encouragement from a special-needs child who asked him to sing a Hindustani song in Malay. 

"When I first began singing, I was still working at Pos Malaysia and singing back then was merely a hobby. But that request by the special-needs child gave me the motivation to try recording, and from that moment, I became more serious about pursuing singing as a career,” he said.

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DJ Dave, who is also the chairman of Yayasan Kebajikan Artis Tanah Air (YKAT), said his experiences with special-needs children have also shaped his concern for the welfare of veteran artistes, adding that he will continue contributing in his own way as long as he is blessed with good health.

He added that his dream is to provide long-term support for veteran artistes who have contributed greatly, including welfare assistance in terms of housing and financial aid, should the foundation have sufficient sources of income.

"I have a desire to create a source of passive income to care for the welfare of veteran artistes. I have been working on this for over 14 years, but it has yet to be realised. If I can't achieve it, hopefully my successor will be able to,” he said.

-- BERNAMA

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