Singaporean singer Iskandar Ismail wins 12th season of Malaysian singing competition Gegar Vaganza

Singaporean singer Iskandar Ismail, 47, has been crowned the winner of the popular Malaysian singing competition Gegar Vaganza on Sunday (Jan 18) night. Gegar Vaganza, which just concluded its 12th season, pits celebrity singers from around the region against each other. Previous Gegar Vaganza winners from Singapore include Hady Mirza in 2019 and Aliff Aziz in 2021.

The finale on Sunday saw Iskandar wowing judges Hetty Koes Endang, Syafinaz Selamat and Ramli MS with powerful covers of two songs by acclaimed Malaysian singer Ziana Zain: Madah Berhelah (Deceptive Words) and Senja Nan Merah (Red Sunset). He performed the latter alongside singer-actress Jaclyn Victor.

As the winner of Gegar Vaganza, Iskandar Ismail walked away with a cash prize of RM100,000 (S$32,000). Coming in at second place was Indonesian group Mendua, who earned RM50,000.

Speaking at a press conference after the finale, Iskandar – the son of the late Singaporean singer R Ismail – shared that he initially did not want to enter Gegar Vaganza and only did so after receiving permission from his wife.

"She has been praying for everything to proceed smoothly," said Iskandar. "And today, I'm feeling so happy."

"I didn't expect [to win]. When my name was called out as champion, I didn't look at the screen at all. I was just looking at my fans."

He added that upon seeing his fans screaming, he felt "touched by their support".

According to Malay news network Berita Mediacorp, Iskandar plans to enter the Malaysian market and will be in the country till "at least after Hari Raya Aidilfitri" to complete a few projects, including a reality TV series.

"If given the chance, I'll have even more projects and stay [in Malaysia]," he added.