Compiled by DIYANA PFORDTEN, ARAVINTHAN AND JAROD LIM
SINGER Yazmin Aziz, 24, is set to compete against six other finalists from around the world in the grand finals of the Silk Way Star singing competition in Kazakhstan today, reported Harian Metro.
Yazmin is the sole representative from South-East Asia and said she is honoured to carry Malaysia’s name on the international stage.
“I truly hope this journey will open doors for me and for Malaysian music on the world stage.
“I am very grateful because I have worked hard in this industry for a long time,” she said.
Throughout the competition, Yazmin had delivered impressive performances, having been crowned the weekly champion four times.
She also called on Malaysians to support her by voting, as audience votes will play a crucial role in determining the winner.
For the final stage, she will perform a special song that combines traditional Malay and Kazakh instruments.
The winner will be decided based on 50% judges’ scores and 50% audience votes.
> The Kelantan government is considering allowing visitors from outside of Kelantan to obtain special permits to engage in traditional gold panning (mendulang) in the state, reported Berita Harian.
State Tourism, Culture, Arts and Heritage Committee chairman Datuk Kamaruddin Md Noor said the move aims to attract tourists and offer a unique experience.
However, he stressed that the proposed approval would apply only to traditional gold-panning activities and would not involve the use of machinery.
Kamaruddin added that the number of licences issued would likely be limited to avoid disrupting the activities and livelihood of local communities working in the field.
(The above articles are compiled from the vernacular newspapers (Bahasa Malaysia, Chinese and Tamil dailies). As such, stories are grouped according to the respective language/medium. Where a paragraph begins with a >, it denotes a separate news item.)
