In 1960s
Singapore, Sabariah Mansoor is a young woman who is fascinated with the music of Kassim Selamat, a small-time musician with great talent playing the
saxophone. After one of his radio performances, Sabariah calls in to the studio to talk to him personally and express her admiration. They arrange to meet, falling in love at first sight. Sabariah's wealthy widowed mother Nyonya Mansoor wants Sabariah to marry Dr. Ismadi, an eye doctor, and is shocked when Sabariah tells her that she wants to marry Kassim Selamat. Nyonya tells Sabariah that if she chooses Kassim, she will forfeit all her family's wealth and can never set foot in their house again. Sabariah still chooses Kassim, so Nyonya arranges a quick wedding ceremony for the couple, giving them
RM5000, before casting them out of her house. Kassim and Sabariah move to
Penang to start a new life. Although they were happy for a while, they soon spend all their money and have to live as paupers. Kassim wants to make money performing music, but Sabariah disagrees thinking that she can make amends with her mother if Kassim renounces music forever. Kassim is forced to work as a labourer. One day Kassim returns to their lowly home to see Sabariah crying in the arms of her mother. Nyonya says that she would like to take Sabariah back to Singapore and care for her until she has given birth to her child. Kassim lets Sabariah go, believing that she will return to him. Months later, Sabariah who is under the care of Nyonya and Ismadi, eventually gives birth to a baby boy named Tajudin. At this time, Kassim receives a fake telegram from Nyonya Mansoor saying that Sabariah
died during childbirth. Kassim falls into
depression, endlessly crying for days refusing to work. Unbeknownst to him, Sabariah is alive and waiting for him in Singapore. Nyonya reveals her plan to separate the pair through the telegram. Sabariah eventually divorces Kassim, believing that he abandoned her and their child and agrees to marry Ismadi. Sabariah and Ismadi agree to keep the identity of Tajudin's birth father a secret from everyone, including Tajudin himself. During this time, Kassim's crying has rendered him completely blind. Unable to pay rent, he is evicted into the street to wander aimlessly. Kassim is eventually found by Mami, a kind middle-aged woman and her daughter, Chombi, who recently lost her husband, taking him into their home. The pair find friendship as they mourn their respective loved ones. Kassim eventually reveals his talent with the saxophone, and after being encouraged by Mami and Chombi, starts a new career in music using the stage name "Osman Jailani". He becomes a hit and starts touring around all over
Malaya, performing in
Penang,
Taiping,
Ipoh,
Kuala Lumpur,
Seremban,
Malacca,
Muar,
Batu Pahat and
Johor Bahru before arriving in Singapore, where Sabariah and her new husband Dr. Ismadi attend his performance. Overcome with sadness seeing her blinded former husband performing on stage, Sabariah asks Ismadi to heal Kassim's eyes without charge. With the operation a success, Kassim, Mami and Chombi are all invited to stay at Ismadi's home with Sabariah and son while Kassim recovers. After Kassim's eye bandages were removed, he panics seeing Sabariah with Ismadi. Ismadi says that she cannot possibly be his dead wife but just a
look-alike, which Kassim reluctantly accepts. Kassim goes to Nyonya's house, asking her for permission to see his son. Nyonya tells him that she gave the boy away, so Kassim begs her to take him to Sabariah's grave. Nyonya takes him to the grave, but when he realises that it's not Sabariah's, he curses Nyonya for her deception. Kassim returns to Ismadi's house to confront him with the truth just before entering his room and locking the door. Ismadi, Nyonya and Sabariah beg for forgiveness, but Kassim ignores them, and takes a pair of forks which he uses to
pierce his eyes. Kassim then finally opens the door, once again blind with his eyes bloodied. Nyonya collapses when she sees him. Kassim wanders out of the house until he bumps into Chombi, who is shocked to see his condition. He asks her to take him back to Penang with her as they depart, leaving Sabariah crying as she watches Kassim leave while Ismadi gazes pensively. ==Cast==