In February 2013, my home-state of Sabah was invaded by insurgents from the Southern Philippines claiming to be the army of the Sultanate of Sulu. Their objective was to claim North Borneo (present-day Sabah) as their own; their approach with guns and bombs resulted in great terror among the people of Lahad Datu and Semporna.

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On 1 March 2013, two of our brave countrymen fell, quickly followed by others, who died in the defence of our sovereignty. To honour their sacrifice and to give all those who mourn them a channel for their grief, I wrote a song.

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This song was written in our national language, Malay, as a symbol of our solidarity as a nation. The English translation is included in the actual YouTube link itself.

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"Tidurlah" is dedicated to the brave men and women who fight for our freedom, and to all Malaysians who love peace.