THE video for a song titled “Helo Kuala Lumpur” on Lagu Kanak TV’s YouTube channel has triggered controversy among Indonesian social media users who claimed song’s lyrics and melody are similar to the Indonesian song “Halo, Halo Bandung”.

Indonesian media said the Lagu Kanak TV YouTube channel uploaded the video of the song in 2018 and again in 2020 on the same channel.

“The song ‘Helo Kuala Lumpur’ is almost identical to the Indonesian song ‘Halo, Halo Bandung’, said CNBC Indonesia, which compared some of the lyrics in the two videos of the song.

CNN Indonesia also reported that the song “Helo Kuala Lumpur” only changed several words from the original lyrics of “Halo, Halo Bandung”, the work of legendary Betawi artiste Ismail Marzuki.

The video of the song has been a topic of conversation on the X platform, previously known as Twitter, since Monday, because the melody is similar to “Halo, Halo Bandung”.

Ismail, better known as Bang Maing, was born in Jakarta on May 11, 1914 and died on May 25, 1958, and was posthumously awarded the title of Indonesian National Hero in 2004.

Responding to the alleged copyright infringement of the song, Indonesian ambassador to Malaysia, Hermono, said the embassy was still collecting evidence regarding the plagiarism.

“We are still collecting more detailed information,” he said as quoted by Tribunnews.com. – Bernama, September 13, 2023.