The iStar singing competition has been the pride of the International Student Club for the past five years as it continues to be a platform for RP’s foreign students to showcase their musical talent.
There were three people on stage – two girls fighting for the attention of Andi Sucipto as he crooned Karmin’s hit Brokenhearted in English, Chinese and Malay. A sell-out crowd of 350 people sat enraptured at the TRCC Studio. Not long after, Andi, an 18-year-old student from Indonesia, was declared the winner of the fifth iStar singing competition.
iStar, an annual event showcasing RP’s foreign students, is organized by RP’s International Student Club (ISC) as part of efforts to help these students adapt to life in RP and Singapore in general.
After two initial rounds involving 40 hopefuls, six students battled it out in iStar’s grand final on July 26 where Business Applications student Andi emerged victorious.
A thrilled Andi explained why he had invited two close friends to share the stage with him: “It is the best opportunity I’ve ever had and I only wish to share the happiness with the both of them.”
Like most of the audience, Hajarratu Rahma, a second-year Biotechnology student, was impressed with the winning act.
“Andi performed not only with his voice but with his emotions and character, making him appear honest to the audience”, said the 18-year-old.
Although he did not win, runner-up Wei Shuai Ke, a second-year student from the Diploma in Industrial Operations Management, believes that iStar has instilled self-confidence in him.
Said the 20-year-old China native: “Before this competition, I feared singing in front of people but now, that fear is gone.”
The president of ISC, 19-year-old Malaysian student Gan Hian Ying, said: “Since all of us here are foreigners, we know how each other feels. It is important that we help them adjust to the Singapore life and remind that they are not alone.”
