HOMEMAKER Dayana Ahmad was crowned champion of the Kita-Untuk-Kita Idol (K2K Idol) Season 2 singing competition which aims to nurture and uncover talent among residents of the People's Housing Projects (PPRs) within the Klang Valley.
The 37-year-old winner, who hails from PPR Kg Baru Hicom in Shah Alam, took home a cash prize of RM10,000 and a trophy after beating nine other contestants at the K2K Idol Grand Finale which took place at Pusat Komuniti Komersial Bandar Tun Razak in Kuala Lumpur recently.
Dayana's winning performance saw her singing the song Madah Berhelah originally sung by Ziana Zain.
Although she was thrilled with her achievement, the mother-of-three was sad her mentor, the late singer Jay Jay, was not able to celebrate this victory with her.
However, she still holds dear the wise words he once shared with her, which was to always believe in her own abilities.
"Last year, when I took part in K2K Idol at the PPR Kg Baru Hicom level, I was heavily pregnant but Jay Jay kept saying I had the potential to sing even though it was quite challenging for me given my condition at the time," she said in a recent Bernama report.
Dayana, who has been residing at Kg Baru Hicom PPR since she was 15 years old, hopes her victory will inspire others in the community to have more confidence in showcasing their hidden talents.
Meanwhile, Hairil Azri Abu Bakar, 46, from the Seri Kota public housing scheme, was named first runner-up and he took home RM5,000.
Hakim Nazmie Shamsudin, 23, from PPR Lembah Subang 1, secured third place and received RM3,000.
The remaining seven finalists each received a consolationcash prize of RM1,000.
K2K Idol is a talent contest organised by Think City in collaboration with Karyawan under the Kita-Untuk-Kita (K2K) programme.
Launched by the government in April 2023, the Think City-led K2K programme aims to empower communities residing in public housing projects and improve the livability of their communal living areas.
Season 2 of the competition that began in July 2023 saw 100 from 817 hopeful talents chosen via an audition process, where they recieved vocal training and mentoring from an ensemble of 10 capable artistes.
They were Andy of Flop Poppy, Datuk Ito of the Blues Gang, Ezlynn, Haiza Hanafi, Lan Solo, Mawi, Noorshila Amin, Yusni Hamid, Zur Eda and Radhi Khaled who replaced the late Jay Jay.
The chosen 100 were then further whittled down to the 10 finalists who vied for the top spot during the grand finale.
In addition to cultivating artistic talent, the competition also aims to foster community spirit and involvement. By celebrating diversity and providing opportunities for artistic expression, K2K Idol stives to build confidence among participants and strengthen ties within the community.
"K2K Idol plays an important role in fostering talents from the public housing community."
"This programme not only gives an opportunity for them to shine on an artisitc stage, but also strengthens the arts industry via the dedication shown by K2K Idol's mentors in seeding enthusiasm among the new generation," said Karyawan president Datuk Freddie Fernandez in a recent statement.
Singer-songwriter, music producer and K2K Idol ambassador, Aman RA, said, "As a child raised by a single mother in public housing, my life experiences became the inspiration for my songs that tell of the struggle and determination to overcome poverty."
"Through K2K Idol, I hope young people in these housing communities pursue their dreams and gain success through hard work, perseverance, determination and the spirit of not giving up."