Former Malaysian Idol Season 1 finalist, Saiful Bakeri, recently shocked social media users after being on hiatus for many years.
Saiful recently emerged in a viral video, showing him singing Karaoke in a full female outfit.
The ex-finalist of Malaysian Idol, who is 39 this year, also acknowledged that many Malaysians are not fond of his recent appearance, and has since broken his silence on the matter.
“I know it’s against my religion, but I don’t want to be a hypocrite”
In an interview, Saiful admitted that the feminine traits had long existed in him. Instead of continuing to live a life of deception and pretending, he chose to appear with his true identity.
“My instincts have been like this for a long time. I don’t want to be hypocritical and deceive everyone; sooner or later, people will find out.”
In another interview by Astro Gempak, Saiful also said that he was well aware of the criticisms and advice he has been receiving online, adding that he often accepts them with an open heart, but not when the words come in an insulting manner.
“When I see the criticisms, I pray for the best. But to those who insult me, I just want to say that life is like a wheel.”
“We don’t know what fate has in store for us, we don’t know if I am eventually going to change. They see us as the bad people, but what they don’t see is our inner selves.”
In response to the viral video, Saiful said that he was merely fulfilling a friend’s wish who wanted to hear him sing. However, he did not foresee the video going viral on social media.
Saiful, who hailed from Kuching, Sarawak, said that he would visit KL once in a while for a trip. He participated in the first season of Malaysian Idol in 2004 and made it to the Top 12 finalists.
