Wednesday 15 November 2006

N30 Nation
THE STAR

Ryan Star set

to rock Zouk
By NIKI CHEONG
niki@thestar.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: He is considered the most popular rock star
wannabe on a recently concluded reality TV show and just
as his name suggests, he is
reaching for the sky.
Ryan Star is in town and looks
set to make a storm at the Zouk
club here tomorrow, courtesy
of Channel (V) to celebrate
Astros 10th anniversary.
The 28-year-old singer, who
was a contestant in the Rock
Star: Supernova reality show did
not even make it to the finals,
but he was the fans' favourite.
He will perform here for two
days before heading down to
Singapore as part of his tour of
the region.
His show is officially billed as
Channel [V] Presents Ryan Star In
Malaysia.
Star stole the hearts of millions around the world with his
rendition of R.E.M.s Losing My
Religion and Coldplays Clocks in
the talent contest, which aired
recently on Star World.
However, it was his passionate and soulful rendition of The
Back Of Your Car, a self-composed song from his 2005
indie-released album Songs
From The Eye Of An Elephant that
made him stand out from the
rest of the contestants.
The eventual winner of
Supernova was Canadian singer
Lukas Rossi, whose prize was
becoming the lead singer of a
new rock band made up of legendary rockers Tommy Lee
(from Motley Crue), Gilby
Clarke (Guns N Roses) and
Jason Newsted (Metallica).
Star has no regrets. They
would have had to change their
sound, he said, when asked
how things would be different
for him if he had won.
Their approach didnt suit
me. They knew it and I knew it.
What the show did for him,
however, was give him a global
platform to share his music.
In the same way, being the
featured artiste on popular
online music portal MySpace
led him to become a national

EXCLUSIVE PERFORMANCE: Star performing 11.59 at the studio

in Menara Star in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
phenomenon in the United
States.
On what his lucky fans who
won invites to his Channel [V]
Presents Ryan Star In Malaysia
showcase can expect from him,
Star said:
It will be full of energy and
everyone will have a great time.
I like to be spontaneous and
well see if theres something or
someone to jump on!
Star is expected to sing the
numbers which turned him

into the star he is today from

the TV show, a few songs from
his first album as well as some
from his recent US-released
Dark Horse: A Live Collection, a
collaboration with TV producer
Mark Burnett after Rock Star:
Supernova ended.
Star also performed a new
song 11.59 exclusively for readers of The Star.
Catch a video of the interview
and Stars performance
at www.thestar.com.my.

Nik Aziz may be stepping down

KUALA LUMPUR: Kelantan
Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul
Aziz Nik Mats decision to have
state executive councillor
Datuk Husam Musa table the
state budget for next year is a
strong indication that the PAS
spiritual adviser may step
down due to frail health.
State Umno Youth chief Dali
Hussin said the decision to
bypass Deputy Mentri Besar
Datuk Ahmad Yakob was a
clear signal that Nik Abdul Aziz
wanted Husam, the State Finance Planning Committee
chairman, to be his successor.
Dali said it was improper to
not follow protocol as Ahmad
was the deputy mentri besar
while Husam, although a PAS

vice-president, was only a state

executive councillor.
It shows he is not confident
about Ahmad and it also shows
irresponsibility, as a state budget is a major administrative
duty but he (Nik Abdul Aziz)
prefers to let someone else perform the duty, said Dali, who
attended the Umno Youth delegates conference here yesterday.
When contacted, PAS secretary-general Datuk Kamarudin
Jaafar urged political observers
and people in Kelantan not to
be swayed by this issue.
He said Nik Abdul Aziz, 76,
has been unwell of late and
since the Budget speech was
lengthy, he decided to hand

over the task to another member of the state government.

Nik Abdul Aziz was hospitalised several days on the third
day of Hari Raya, as a consequence of a punishing schedule
during Ramadan.
Kamarudin said Husam was
qualified as finance planning
was his portfolio.
I sincerely believe that Ahmad declined when Nik Abdul
Aziz asked him to. The duty was
best entrusted to Husam whose
task was after all to prepare the
Budget.
Asked if Nik Abdul Aziz
might step down due to poor
health, Kamarudin said PAS
was prepared for any eventualities.