KUALA LUMPUR: Long-running Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) talent search Bintang RTM is back tomorrow, and the television station is allowing contestants to sing in their favourite music genres.
Malaysian Broadcasting Department director-general Datuk Suhaimi Sulaiman said the move would encourage contestants to excel in their favourite genres and work hard to win the competition.
"In the past we made them perform songs from different genres so as to leave their comfort zones but this time we have decided that good singers need not be versatile in order to become great entertainers. What is needed is for them to constantly improve in their genres of choice until they become the best in what they do," said Suhaimi at the launch of the talent search in Angkasapuri on Tuesday.
Suhaimi added that after a five-year hiatus largely due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the time had come for Bintang RTM to discover the next big recording artistes from around Malaysia.
"Bintang RTM has always been a major product of RTM, and we have decided to organise it once again. It is perhaps the oldest talent search on TV and contestants are judged by a professional jury purely on merit."
Bintang RTM has 14 participants aged between 15 and 25.
They are Akma Natasha, 25; Muhammad Zulfeka, 23; Mohd Azumi Shazani, 26; Norzizi Safira, 22; Sharifah Nurilmuhayati, 26; Muhammad Hadi Hafsham, 21; Muhammad Harris Mukhriz, 20; Muhammad Shahrezza, 22; Roziena Ixzy, 26; Mohd Enrien Syah, 24; Dayang Irsyadhania, 16; Mohammad Said Suhazrie, 21; Eylia Eyre Guntabid, 23 and Nur Shahirah, 23.
The contest is hosted by Awal Ashaari and is broadcast live on TV2 from Angkasapuri at 9pm on Saturdays.
It can also be viewed on RTMKlik at www.rtmklik.rtm.gov.my.
Bintang RTM began in 1973 and has produced many famous entertainers such as the late Datuk Sudirman Arshad, Datuk Jamal Abdillah, the late Rohana Jalil and Ramlah Ram.