These 6 M'sians Wow-ed The Judges At The 'Calpis Soda One In A Million' Sabah Auditions

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2 and 3 November saw auditions taking place at Karnival Jom Heboh in Johor Bahru, while Penang and Sabah auditions were just last weekend, 9 and 10 November, at Sunshine Central Penang and Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) in Kota Kinabalu.

For those who haven't heard of it, Calpis Soda One In A Million is a rebranded version of One In A Million, a popular singing competition that first aired on Malaysian television in 2006. It went on for three seasons before coming to an end 2009, and is now making a comeback.

The most impressive part of the show is that the winner walks away with prizes worth RM1 million!

"Maybe my talent is inherited from her," said Sadri, adding that his mother, a talented singer in Sabah, has been his main inspiration in life.

Having served as a firefighter for 14 years, the 31-year-old was a vocalist for the JBPM Sabah buskers group in 2021. He even represented Sabah at the national level of a singing competition, where he clinched second place.

Sadri had auditioned for other singing competitions before but never made it through, so he sees his successful audition this time around as a sign, as well as a moment of joy in the midst of his personal struggles.

"I'm very, very thankful to God because I came from far away, hoping for the best. Alhamdulillah, today was a good day for me. I'm so happy and speechless at the same time. Perhaps this is a blessing after the loss I faced," shared Sadri, whose second child tragically passed away in 2023, only seven days after birth.

"I actually didn't prepare at all for this audition. I saw the poster the other day, but I forgot the date! Luckily, I happened to see the TV3 crew at SICC while running my booth, so I rushed to the audition," she shared.

Qhalysa was previously part of Mentor Milenia, a reality TV show that's a spin-off of Mentor, in which hopefuls mentored by various Malaysian singers compete against each other. She was the protege of Tomok, a former Akademi Fantasia contestant and winner of One In A Million's third season.

Despite her experience in another show, Qhalysa was still nervous to audition as it's been a while since she performed or joined any competition. To the 25-year-old, this is her chance to shine and try something new.

"Back then, I was still young. This time, I'm more mature, and it's a new era now that's more challenging, especially with the influence of social media. So, all I can do is try my best and see where it takes me," she commented.

Originally from Tawau, the 31-year-old has since moved to Kota Kinabalu to make a living as a street busker. On weekdays, he busks on the streets until midnight, entertaining the public and livening up the atmosphere at main attractions.

From a young age, he has participated in various singing competitions to make ends meet. However, his run on Season 7 of Mentor sadly came to an end in the sixth week of the contest. Following his elimination, he was able to release two songs, Tetap Kamu and Cintaku, that were used in the soundtrack of Nur, a popular TV3 serial drama.

Megat truly impressed the judges during his audition, with one of them, Sarah Ismail even going so far as to claim, "I've found what I've been looking for all this time!"

In response, Megat said, "Even though she said that, I can't just sit back and do nothing. There's still a lot I can improve on. It would be great if I make it to the finals, but even the Top 12 is enough for me because there are so many amazing people out there. I leave it up to fate."

The journey from his hometown of Tawau to the audition location in Kota Kinabalu was not an easy one for 19-year-old Yus.

After finding out about the auditions just the day before, he immediately borrowed money from his best friend and asked his cousin to buy him a bus ticket. Leaving home at 8pm, he arrived in Kota Kinabalu at around 4am on audition day.

Yus' father is unemployed, so his only source of income is from a property he rents out. Meanwhile, his mother is working, but is suffering from health issues. She was only recently discharged from the hospital, and is slowly recovering. Struggling to hold on in this tough economy, the family also faces judgement from some people for their situation.

This is what led Yus to try out for Calpis Soda One In A Million, wanting to do his part to change his family's fortunes. Thinking of them while he sang Ku Akui at the audition brought the teenager to tears.

"When I was singing, I was thinking about my parents, about all my efforts, and wondering if I can do it or not. That's why I cried... because I was feeling the pressure. I tried to give it my best, but my emotions still got the better of me," he said honestly.

"I cried because I'm tired of people constantly talking negatively about my family, and looking down on us. People always belittle me, saying I'll never succeed or that I'll just stay stuck in the same place. All that fuels my determination to work harder and make my dreams come true," Yus explained emotionally.

In 2009, Esther, who was 21 years old at the time, competed in the third and final season of One In A Million. Though she impressively made it to the Top 3, she sadly did not emerge as champion.

According to her, she was so disappointed and traumatised by losing that she swore to never be part of a reality TV show again. But now, at the age of 37, her experience and maturity have driven her to challenge herself once again, and hopefully make up for her loss 15 years ago.

Admitting she was young and inexperienced during her first One In A Million run, Esther has always wanted the competition to make a comeback so she could try again, especially since it's one of the rare few that doesn't have an age limit.

"Back then, it was such an amazing experience... definitely unforgettable! I'm coming back to get revenge for a 15-year-old grudge, haha. I also hope to repay all my fans who have supported me over the years.

"My previous time on the show taught me a lot. I used to give up easily, but this time, I'm gonna fight!" she shared excitedly.

Following her divorce, Hasinta has been a single mother to a five-year-old boy. She initially tried to make the marriage work despite facing troubles with her husband, believing he could change and wanting to keep the family together for her son's sake.

But when things got worse, including some instances of domestic violence, Hasinta decided to get a divorce and hasn't looked back since.

For her, the Calpis Soda One In A Million audition marks the starting point of a new journey in her life — one that is even more meaningful after the challenges she's faced. The 35-year-old credits the support from her mother and son with giving her the courage to finally reach for the dreams she had long buried.

"They are definitely the ones who give me strength. I know I didn't prepare enough for the audition, by my mom was the one who motivated and encouraged me the most.

"There used to be some bitterness in the story of my life. But now, it's all over and I've fully moved on. Now, I just want to focus on chasing my dreams and ambitions. Everything I do is for my mom and my son," shared Hasinta, who has loved singing since she was a child.

Date: 16 & 17 November
Time: 10am - 10pm
Venue: AEON Hall Level 4, AEON Mall Shah Alam & Block D, Perdanasiswa Complex, University of Malaya

If you can't make it in person, you can also audition online by uploading a one-minute video of yourself singing. Post your video on TikTok before 17 November with the hashtags #CalpisOIAMTV3 and #SegarRasaSodapSuara.

Auditions are open to all residents of Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei who are aged 15 years and above. Solos, duos, and groups are all welcome. Those going for the in-person auditions will have to bring a minus one of your chosen song in MP3 format, as well as passport and 4R-sized photos of yourself.

You can get more info on the official Instagram account.