Missed out on any articles featuring any of the four finalists? Go ahead and explore... we might have it here!
01 October 2005
Khairul By a Whisker
The New Paper
By Eri Akbar
Another S'pore Poly undergrad wins singing competition. He pips hot favourite Syed Azmir to take Anugerah's top prize
SINGAPORE Polytechnic should start a course in entertainment to groom talents.
SINGAPORE Polytechnic should start a course in entertainment to groom talents.
It has already produced Singapore Idol winner Taufik Batisah and Project Superstar runner-up Kelly Poon.
Last night, it had another reason to cheer as Khairul Anuar was declared the winner of Anugerah.
The 20-year-old is a final-year media and communications student at the polytechnic.
It was a close fight between Khairul and hot favourite Syed Azmir at the final of the Suria singing contest held at MediaCorp TV theatre.
Only 900-odd votes separated them.
Viewers' SMS votes accounted for half of the total scores. The judges' 50 per cent contribution was kept confidential.
Khairul won with 12,994 votes, while Azmir came in second with 12,075 votes. The other two finalists were Khairil Yusoff and Fauzie Laily.
Khairul told The New Paper: 'I'm shocked that I won because I'm not exactly the most popular guy.'
Indeed, Khairul was placed third during the semi-final. Halfway through the final last night, he was still lagging behind Azmir in the number of votes.
At that point, Khairul's crestfallen face was caught on camera.
He admitted: 'If I say I wasn't sad, I'd be lying. But I told myself to concentrate on giving my best and not worry about anything else.'
And so, Khairul triumphed with his 'unique' style and 'faultless' performance - comments made by judges Najip Ali and Iskandar Mirza Ismail respectively - displayed in his solo rendition of the song Katakanlah by Malaysian singer Hazami.
His gentle and effeminate ways proved to be a hit with the audience.
Local entertainer Najip wondered whether Khairul's style would appeal to the mainstream audience during the contest.
Najip told The New Paper later: 'People usually expect a male singer to be stereotypically manly.
'But it's good they see Khairul's style as being unique.'
Another judge, local singer Rahimah Rahim, felt that Khairul's high-pitched voice gave him the edge.
For example, Khairul was able to sing Menaruh Harapan by female singer Zaiton Sameon during the semi-finals.
Rahimah added: 'He's versatile, like the late Malaysian singer Sudirman.
'Like I said (during the contest), he'll go very far.'
Judge Edry Halim of Malaysian band KRU felt that Khairul could have done better, but he also felt that Khairul stood out.
After Khairul's solo performance, Edry, who was the most critical, told viewers to 'vote wisely'.
Edry explained later: 'I thought it was the right time to remind viewers that talent, which Khairul had shown, counts.'
The fifth judge was local musician Nor Eddy Ali.
It helped that Khairul had ardent supporters.
During the final, his camp of 50 - mostly his schoolmates - turned up in red attire and placards.
Every time Khairul appeared on stage, they filled the theatre with their deafening screams. They were seen keying their handphones throughout the show.
Khairul also had strong backing from his alma mater.
Singapore Polytechnic's website not only rallied support for Khairul, but the school also sent out e-mails to its staff and students asking for votes in Khairul's favour.
It even staged a special concert for Khairul to showcase his singing prowess on campus.
Khairul truly earned his win. In local composer Iskandar Mirza Ismail's words, he put up a 'faultless performance'.
Viewer Mariam Salim was swayed by Khairul during the final.The 28-year-old part-time nurse said: 'It was the first time I voted for him. He's not like any other singers I've seen.'
