Roti canai hawker wins Malaysian singing competition
Malaysian hawker Farhan Mustapha has finally achieved his lifelong dream of becoming a singer after 12 years of relentless perseverance.
The 28-year-old roti canai seller was crowned champion of TikTok LIVE X Astro Gimme The Mic Malaysia, a first-of-its-kind singing competition for TikTok influencers, on Sept 15.
The competition, held at CIDB Convention Centre in Cheras, saw Mr Farhan beating out five other finalists to clinch the coveted title.
He walked away with a cash prize of RM10,000 (S$3,009) from Astro, US$2,000 (S$2,613) from TikTok, and a recording contract for a single album sponsored by Astro & Rocketfuel.
Mr Farhan will also represent Malaysia on the global stage alongside the competition's other top performers – Jelly Belly, Shazreen Saharum, Syaffiq Sahli, Ameerais and Bulan Asyraff.
“I’ve joined so many competitions, from Bintang RTM to Akademi Fantasia and even Mentor Milenia. I’ve been trying for 12 years. My luck was in this program,” an emotional Mr Farhan shared during a live-streamed press conference.
Mr Farhan's passion for singing stems from a deep place, fueled by the memory of his late father who yearned to see him pursue music.
He revealed that he had previously attempted to join a recording label, but his talent seemed to go unnoticed. With this win, he hopes to finally chase his musical dreams.
His powerful performances, often infused with heartfelt emotion, captivated both the audience and judges.
Renowned Indonesian singer Bunga Citra Lestari, one of the judges on the panel, was visibly moved by Mr Farhan's renditions, often seen tearing up or beaming from her seat.
Mr Farhan's vocal prowess, particularly suited to the ballads popularised by Indonesian bands like Ungu, Sheila On 7, and Noah, did not go unnoticed.
“Farhan is ready to be a star. The package is there. Just keep pursuing your dream,” Bunga remarked.
Mr Farhan began working as a roti canai seller two years ago after getting married. It was during this time that he started uploading song covers on TikTok, unaware of the attention they would garner.
“At that time, I had time to make 'covers' on TikTok. I didn't expect it to go viral," he said
@farhanzayne Alhamdulillah lena tidur saya 🥰 #fyp @FarhanMustapha ♬ original sound - SingaPutih 🦁 - Farhanmustapha
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