S. Roomai Noor was born in Pahang, Malaysia, in 1923. He made his acting debut in the Shaw Brothers film ‘Chinta’ (1948). In 1952, he moved to Keris Film Studio (which later became Cathay-Keris Studio). His first marriage to actress Siput Sarawak lasted for three months and together they had a daughter, famous Malay singer-entertainer, Anita Sarawak. His second marriage was to actress Umi Khaltum. Together they had ten children—one of whom is famous Malaysian actress, Noor Kumalasari. S. Roomai Noor and Umi Khaltum were married until his death in 1996.
