TAUFIK BATISAH

Muhammad Taufik bin Batisah, the winner of the very first season of Singapore Idol. The lad of mixed Indonesian and Indian descent, attended a local primary school and polytechnic in Singapore.

Not long after his win, endorsements flowed in and Batisah cinched a string of lucrative endorsements for brands such as Harmuni Rice, Samsung, 7-Eleven and HSC drinks. He later became the first Singaporean artiste to endorse Swiss watchmakers, Swatch.

Taufik released his debut album, aptly named Blessings, on 14 January 2005. Leaving more footprints in Singapore, the album achieved double platinum a mere 20 days after its launch. The achievement was momentous in the Singaporean music industry as no English album had achieved double platinum status in a decade.

With four other Singapore Idol finalists, Taufik launched his acting career in an Idol-oriented English TV drama called Shooting Stars, receiving largely rave reviews for his acting. The pilot episode debuted on Singapore’s National Day with a million viewers tuned in, making it the highest watched English drama since 2001.