M’sian pop singer Siti Nurhaliza says wearing a tudung is something she has always wanted to do
By Sheela Narayanan
March 18, 2008

ANYTHING that Siti Nurhaliza Taruddin does makes the news.

Even a change in her fashion sense created ripples in the entertainment media and among her fans.

The 29-year-old Malaysian pop diva, who will be performing at the Esplanade this Friday, covered her head with a stylish selendang (shawl) after her return from the Haj last December.

Her new look has fans wondering if Siti was giving up her pop career to become a traditional singer or even a housewife.

Speaking to The New Paper in a telephone interview from her Kuala Lumpur base, she said wearing the tudung (Malay headscarf) was something she has always said she would do.

‘I have said several times before that I will wear the tudung when I felt ready and after I fulfilled the Haj, I felt it was time,’ she said.

At the moment she is not wearing the full tudung, which will cover her head completely leaving only her face bare.

But she intends to, eventually.

‘I would like to make the changes slowly so my fans will get used to it,’ she said.

‘But at the moment they seem happy about the changes.’

Her regular designer, Datuk Bernard Chandran, created one of several stylish tudungs in her collection.

Siti Nurhaliza performs with her tudong on at a Barisan Nasional event last month. Picture: BERITA HARIAN

Fans can see Siti in her new look when she performs at Esplanade, her first concert at the venue.

Her last Singapore concert was at the Singapore Indoor Stadium three years ago.

This concert, titled Diari Hati (Diary Of Her Heart) will have all her big hits as well as songs from her latest album Hadiah Daripada Hati (A Gift From The Heart).

She said: ‘I rarely come to Singapore and it has been a while since I saw my Singapore fans.

‘So when I was offered this Esplanade concert, I had some free time and I decided to do it.’

This concert also comes shortly after her vigorous campaigning for Barisan Nasional in the recent Malaysian elections.

Siti was seen singing at rallies and events for the kampung folks at the various constituencies around her home state of Pahang and in Selangor.

She was fighting a bad sore throat during the interview, which she said was a result of campaigning for her husband’s politician friends.

However, she dismissed talk that she was thinking of entering politics herself.

‘It has never occurred to me to become a politician. I just helped my husband’s friends during the election.

‘After meeting the kampung folk during the campaigning, my husband and I would like to get involved with doing more community service work.’

PACKING ON THE POUNDS?

Some of the photos of Siti that were published during the campaigns showed that the once petite and svelte pop diva has gained weight.

She looked like she was busting out of a pair of slacks.

Which then led to the frequent speculation that she was pregnant or letting herself go now that she was married.

When asked about it, she said with a giggle: ‘Oh yes, I have gained weight. But I am not pregnant yet.

‘I am working on it and God willing, I hope to be a mother soon.’

The extra kilos - she declined to reveal how much she had gained - was because she and her husband liked to eat out a lot.

‘We have always enjoyed good food, so that is why I have gained weight,’ she said.

Siti added she doesn’t really care that media reports have called her fat.

‘I am not really concerned about what is said about me,’ she said.

‘I’m so immune to it now. It goes in one ear and out the other.’

source: the electric new paper

Touched by heart transplant patient, Siti Nurhaliza urges Malaysian public to donate their organs
November 16, 2007

SHE has to wear a mask in the presence of visitors.

Still, there was no mistaking the joy on the face of Malaysia’s heart transplant girl Tee Hui Yi when she met her idol, Siti Nurhaliza, on Tuesday morning.

Hui Yi’s eyes sparkled when Malaysia’s pop sensation showed up at the National Heart Institute.

Hui Yi was speechless. The 14-year-old had only learnt about the visit a while ago, reported The Star.

‘Have you had your breakfast?’ asked Siti, breaking the ice.

Hui Yi giggled and nodded her head.

Accompanied by her parents, Hui Yi was initially shy and hid behind her mother.

After both warmed up to each other, the star invited Hui Yi to attend her concert after she has fully recovered.

The young fan quickly wrote down her contact number and passed it to the artiste, adding: ‘I hope you will continue singing.’

The Malaysian pop queen was touched by Hui Yi’s courage and determination, and cried during the visit, reported The Star.

The two then posed for pictures together and exchanged a warm hug.

‘I am praying for your speedy recovery and I hope to see you at my concert very soon,’ she told Hui Yi.

Siti, who was accompanied by MCA deputy president Chan Kong Choy and his wife, Datin Seri Ann Chan, presented the girl with an autographed copy of her latest album, Pastikan, before she left.

The Chans gave the teenager a stalk of purple orchid, a basket of fruits and a handbook on qi gong.

Siti told reporters that she had wanted to meet Hui Yi after learning of the girl’s wish to see her.

Since Hui Yi’s story made the headlines last month, more donors have come forward to pledge their organs.

Datuk Seri Chan had called Siti’s husband, Datuk Seri Khalid Mohamad Jiwa, on Monday night to make the arrangements for the visit.

‘I am happy to see Hui Yi making good progress. She is a very cheerful and strong girl,’ added Siti, urging the public to pledge their organs for donations after their deaths.

NEW LIFE

‘Do not hesitate as it could bring a new life for those in need,’ she said.

Hui Yi had received a heart from a 15-year-old boy diagnosed as brain dead on 4 Oct.

But soon after the operation, her body started rejecting the new heart.

The next day, she got the heart of a 20-year-old mechanic who was declared brain dead after a road accident in Johor Baru.

Hui Yi is due to be discharged from the hospital in two weeks.

source: the electric new paper

WITH her big eyes, sweet face and huge fan base, Siti Nurhaliza appears to have inspired the perfect cartoon ambassador for Malaysia.

Tourism Malaysia has introduced an online female cartoon character named Siti who will provide basic information on Malaysia to travellers via the Internet, reported The Star.

Tourists who add sitimalaysia@hotmail.com as their MSN contact will be able to ‘chat’ with Siti about attractive tourist destinations through MSN messenger.

The move to put Siti online comes after the success of a 2005 advertising campaign in Japan featuring the pop princess, said tourism director-general Datuk Mirza Mohammad Taiyab.

Then, the singer appeared only in conventional media, such as television commercials, fliers and pamphlets.

‘Riding on our success today, we want to move forward and reach more target audience,’ Datuk Mirza told reporters at the launch of Malaysia Windows Live Agent - Siti in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.

‘In Japan, Siti was well received as the Japanese are fond of cartoon characters. This is the first time we are introducing Siti online.’

Asked whether the cartoon character was named after Siti Nurhaliza, Datuk Mirza said: ‘Siti is a familiar name. It was not specifically named after her, but it did take into account Siti Nurhaliza’s popularity in Japan.’

He said there had been a slight growth in travellers from Japan since the campaign was launched. Japanese tourists visiting Malaysia have increased by 4.2 per cent from 340,027 in 2005 to 354,213 the next year.

However, Siti will only be able to communicate in English at the moment.

Said Datuk Mirza: ‘If it can attract more people from other foreign countries, we will consider adding other languages.’

He added that travellers may also get information on Malaysia in their own languages through their respective countries’ tourism satellite site links.

source: the electric new paper

Siti’s musical performance stuns exec producer Tiara Jacquelina

I didn’t think she could do it

September 27, 2007

SITI Nurhaliza is getting rave reviews in her upcoming show P Ramlee The Musical. The 28-year-old singer plays Azizah, a muse for the late film legend Tan Sri PRamlee, in the musical about his life which will be out next month. The show’s executive producer, Datin Seri Tiara Jacquelina, told Malaysian daily Utusan Malaysia: ‘I’m impressed with the spirit and dedication that the cast has shown, especially the country’s No1 singer, Siti Nurhaliza. ‘I never imagined she would give such a good performance. It’s clear that our casting of her was not a mistake.’ Datin Tiara said she was especially moved by the singer’s rendition of the song, Mulanya Cinta (Love Begins), which was penned by Singapore composer Dick Lee. ‘It stunned me and I almost couldn’t believe that Siti could do it,’ she said. Tiara also praised singer Liza Hanim who plays the late Saloma, P Ramlee’s third wife, for ‘almost recreating’ the real Saloma. Playing the title character is actor Sean Ghazi. Siti Nurhaliza won praise playing P Ramlee’s muse. Datin Tiara is no stranger to musicals, having helmed last year’s successful Puteri Gunung Ledang: The Musical. She added that this musical will be far grander in scale with 12 main sets, compared to just four for Gunung Ledang. The musical traces P Ramlee’s later life, from his 50s till his 70s, and has a cast of over 40. Datin Tiara added that there are also plans to stage the musical in Singapore’s Esplanade Theatre, as well as a second run of Puteri Gunung Ledang.

source : The Electric New Paper

Datuk K breaks silence on SMS rumours that he beat singer wife Siti Nurhaliza
‘I’ll get to bottom of lies’
July 20, 2007
TEXT messages claiming that popular Malaysian singer Siti Nurhaliza Tarudin had been hospitalised after being badly beaten by her husband are absolutely false, said the couple.
Click to see larger image
Datuk K and Siti Nurhaliza held a press conference to deny the rumours that he beat her. Picture: NEW STRAITS TIMES

They want to find the people responsible for spreading the lies and may even take legal action, reported Malaysian newspapers.

SHOCK AT WEDDING

Last Friday, Siti Nurhaliza and her husband, Datuk Khalid Mohd Jiwa, better known as Datuk K, were at a wedding when a relative informed them of the circulating SMS.

Datuk K told Harian Metro: ‘We were shocked when Siti’s sister-in-law Rozi Razak told us about the SMS that said I had hit Siti until she was badly hurt.’

The rumours were reported in some Malaysian newspapers, shocking family and friends.

Most upset was Siti Nurhaliza’s father.

Datuk K told Berita Harian Malaysia: ‘The person who was most shocked and upset was Siti’s father.

‘When he saw the article in the newspapers, he became very angry.

‘He asked us to investigate the matter thoroughly so that the truth would be revealed.’

While both Siti Nurhaliza and DatukK had initially wanted to keep the matter quiet, they have now decided to go public.

REPUTATION AT STAKE

Siti Nurhaliza told Berita Harian Malaysia: ‘At first, I didn’t want to comment, but I am married now, and this matter affects many people.

‘My husband’s reputation is important. I don’t want gossip like this to lead to more stories that could hurt our family even more.’

Legal action is a possibility.

Datuk K told Harian Metro: ‘I will do everything I can to get to the bottom of this.

‘But before I take any action, I will consider the person’s background and whether he is of sound mind.’

Immediately after the rumours surfaced, the couple jetted off to Bali for a holiday, proving that the rumours were baseless.

Datuk K said: ‘This isn’t the first time that people have tried to break up our marriage.

‘Many times in the past irresponsible people have tried to sully my reputation. This includes various stories circulating on the Internet.’

source: The Electric New Paper, Singapore