Datuk Sudirman Haji Arshad was born on 25 May 1954 in Temerloh, Pahang. He was the seventh child of nine siblings. Both of his parents were well-known political figures in the town. His father, the late Haji Arshad bin Haji Hassan, was a businessman and was also the Deputy Chairman of the Temerloh Municipal Council while his mother was the first woman to become a Pahang representative, the late Puan Ramlah binti Dahlan.
Sudirman received his early education at SK Temerloh in 1961 and his secondary education at SMK Sultan Abu Bakar, Kuantan until he completed form six. He then continued his studies at the University of Malaya in 1976 and obtained a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) degree in 1980 and was called to the Bar in 1984.
Since childhood, he has enjoyed reading the Quran, giving speeches, singing, dancing, writing poetry, reciting poems, painting and anything related to the world of art. His talent and interest in art have led him to participate in various competitions including lecturing, writing essays, singing, poetry and so on.
In 1976, he won Bintang RTM and since then his name has continued to shine and he was given the opportunity to record his voice on vinyl with his first album titled Aku Penghiburmu in 1978.
(Source from Nor Lelinza Abd. Rasid. (2006). Sejarah Hidup Sudirman. (Unpublished academic exercise). University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.)
