She was the girl who blew Roslan Aziz away, the one Jee wanted to see more of, the one who was told by Paul Moss "You look beautiful...". Who's that girl? For Malaysian Idol fans, you'd know that I'm referring to none other than Nicolette Palikat; better known as Nikki.
She was here from her hometown of Sabah for the Christmas Carols with the stars organised by The Council of Churches of Malaysia on 15th November. Never one to pass up a golden opportunity, Lifeline took this chance to interview her, asking questions about practically everything under the sun. Read on to see what our intrepid reporter unearthed...
DID YOU KNOW THAT NIKKI...
...hated singing as a child?
Perhaps it had to do with being the fifth child in a musically talented family of 6 girls and a boy. The turning point came at the tender age of 10 - she sang along to "Hero" by Mariah Carey, imitating the full range of vocal acrobatics of the diva herself. At that point, her whole perception of singing changed as she unearthed a previously buried talent.
...almost missed Malaysian Idol?
Being a student, Nikki couldn't afford the plane ticket from Sabah to Kuching, Sarawak where the auditions were held. Her mother also objected to her idea of auditioning for Malaysian Idol. When all seemed lost, help came from an unexpected source - her elder sister Adriane. (Growing up, Nikki & Adriane didn't get along. They were the two most musically inclined in the family, yet total opposites - Nikki hated musical instruments while Adriane played almost every kind!). Nikki shares that Malaysian Idol has brought both sisters closer together, and for that she is thankful.
...felt God's presence the most at the lowest point of the competition?
Shockingly, Nikki was eliminated at the first workshop. Feeling depressed and discouraged, she was becoming a pain in the neck to her sisters, and to make matters worse, was coughing seemingly non-stop.
At that point, a call came to say that she had been selected as one of the "Wildcards" (effectively meaning that she had been given a second chance to be in the Final 12). Instead of being grateful, Nikki ranted and raved at God, "Why God? Why now that I am coughing non-stop? Am I to make a fool of myself at the Wildcard?" Overwhelmed by the emotional roller-coaster ride, she finally broke down and cried. It was then that God spoke through her elder sister Melissa (youth minister of Life Teen, Kota Kinabalu) Melissa randomly picked out a card from a deck of bible verses and it turned out to be Nikki's favourite verse:
Melissa reminded her that it was God's opinion that mattered and not Man's, and that the Malaysian Idol journey was a mission from God which she was to complete without losing focus.
And how did everything turn out? Despite her cough, Nikki did a beautiful rendition of Christina Aguilera's 'The Voice Within' .
...nearly cried on stage?
This happened while she was singing 'The Voice Within' because this song reminded her so much of God and the mission she was to complete. Obviously, the crowd thought she was a hit too, and she got through to the Top 6 of Malaysian Idol.
...faced difficulties because of her faith?
During a photo shoot, she was requested to remove the crucifix that she was wearing round her neck. Although it was explained to her that it was the newspaper's policy, Nikki felt insulted. Indignantly, she kept it on (but shifted it to the back) and continued the photo shoot.
Unaccustomed to constant swearing, Nikki requested someone on the show not to swear so much. To which she was told to lighten up, and to accept the person as she was, just as the person accepted her as she was. This conversation was overheard by a third party, who asked Nikki if she was a Catholic Christian. When Nikki confirmed that she was, the guy responded 'No wonder'.
It may have been meant as an insult, but I'd say it's a good thing that non-Christians are aware of Christian standards of behaviour, wouldn't you say?
...was accused of being 'sombong' (proud and stand-offish)?
During a visit to Times Square, she was rumoured to be acting like a diva, never satisfied with the perks given to the contestants of Malaysian Idol. When Nikki's sisters heard this, they were shocked because Nikki had been raving to them over the phone about her amazing visit to Times Square! The rumours apparently came from an inside source - this taught Nikki to choose her close friends and confidantes carefully.
...prays together with Jac & Andrew before each round of competition?
This has been a routine for Nikki, Jac and Andrew. Nikki believes in the promise made by Jesus where He said:
...learned to praise God in every circumstance?
Throughout her journey in Malaysian Idol, Nikki learned to praise God in joy and in suffering. When she was eliminated in the first round, when she re-entered the competition through the Wildcard, when she made it through to the Final 6, when her finger got jammed in the van door - through it all, she praised the Lord. And that, she says, is a lesson she will keep for life.
For Nikki, our meeting was a change from the usual meet-the-fans session (what with the crowd being much smaller than expected). We all had the opportunity to talk and share our testimonies over a cup of grass jelly with milk (a.k.a. 'susu leong fun', a local favourite in Sabah). We got to know Nikki as a regular young lady - a gracious, charming and down-to-earth person with an amazing love for God.
All in all, it was a fun evening. Nikki's quote at 8TV's Quickie sums it up best:
Praise God.
She was here from her hometown of Sabah for the Christmas Carols with the stars organised by The Council of Churches of Malaysia on 15th November. Never one to pass up a golden opportunity, Lifeline took this chance to interview her, asking questions about practically everything under the sun. Read on to see what our intrepid reporter unearthed...
DID YOU KNOW THAT NIKKI...
...hated singing as a child?
Perhaps it had to do with being the fifth child in a musically talented family of 6 girls and a boy. The turning point came at the tender age of 10 - she sang along to "Hero" by Mariah Carey, imitating the full range of vocal acrobatics of the diva herself. At that point, her whole perception of singing changed as she unearthed a previously buried talent.
...almost missed Malaysian Idol?
Being a student, Nikki couldn't afford the plane ticket from Sabah to Kuching, Sarawak where the auditions were held. Her mother also objected to her idea of auditioning for Malaysian Idol. When all seemed lost, help came from an unexpected source - her elder sister Adriane. (Growing up, Nikki & Adriane didn't get along. They were the two most musically inclined in the family, yet total opposites - Nikki hated musical instruments while Adriane played almost every kind!). Nikki shares that Malaysian Idol has brought both sisters closer together, and for that she is thankful.
...felt God's presence the most at the lowest point of the competition?
Shockingly, Nikki was eliminated at the first workshop. Feeling depressed and discouraged, she was becoming a pain in the neck to her sisters, and to make matters worse, was coughing seemingly non-stop.
At that point, a call came to say that she had been selected as one of the "Wildcards" (effectively meaning that she had been given a second chance to be in the Final 12). Instead of being grateful, Nikki ranted and raved at God, "Why God? Why now that I am coughing non-stop? Am I to make a fool of myself at the Wildcard?" Overwhelmed by the emotional roller-coaster ride, she finally broke down and cried. It was then that God spoke through her elder sister Melissa (youth minister of Life Teen, Kota Kinabalu) Melissa randomly picked out a card from a deck of bible verses and it turned out to be Nikki's favourite verse:
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
- Jeremiah 29:11 -
- Jeremiah 29:11 -
Melissa reminded her that it was God's opinion that mattered and not Man's, and that the Malaysian Idol journey was a mission from God which she was to complete without losing focus.
And how did everything turn out? Despite her cough, Nikki did a beautiful rendition of Christina Aguilera's 'The Voice Within' .
...nearly cried on stage?
This happened while she was singing 'The Voice Within' because this song reminded her so much of God and the mission she was to complete. Obviously, the crowd thought she was a hit too, and she got through to the Top 6 of Malaysian Idol.
...faced difficulties because of her faith?
During a photo shoot, she was requested to remove the crucifix that she was wearing round her neck. Although it was explained to her that it was the newspaper's policy, Nikki felt insulted. Indignantly, she kept it on (but shifted it to the back) and continued the photo shoot.
Unaccustomed to constant swearing, Nikki requested someone on the show not to swear so much. To which she was told to lighten up, and to accept the person as she was, just as the person accepted her as she was. This conversation was overheard by a third party, who asked Nikki if she was a Catholic Christian. When Nikki confirmed that she was, the guy responded 'No wonder'.
It may have been meant as an insult, but I'd say it's a good thing that non-Christians are aware of Christian standards of behaviour, wouldn't you say?
...was accused of being 'sombong' (proud and stand-offish)?
During a visit to Times Square, she was rumoured to be acting like a diva, never satisfied with the perks given to the contestants of Malaysian Idol. When Nikki's sisters heard this, they were shocked because Nikki had been raving to them over the phone about her amazing visit to Times Square! The rumours apparently came from an inside source - this taught Nikki to choose her close friends and confidantes carefully.
...prays together with Jac & Andrew before each round of competition?
This has been a routine for Nikki, Jac and Andrew. Nikki believes in the promise made by Jesus where He said:
"For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."
- Matthew 18:20 -
Praying has helped her draw closer to God as well as to the other contestants she prays with.
- Matthew 18:20 -
...learned to praise God in every circumstance?
Throughout her journey in Malaysian Idol, Nikki learned to praise God in joy and in suffering. When she was eliminated in the first round, when she re-entered the competition through the Wildcard, when she made it through to the Final 6, when her finger got jammed in the van door - through it all, she praised the Lord. And that, she says, is a lesson she will keep for life.
For Nikki, our meeting was a change from the usual meet-the-fans session (what with the crowd being much smaller than expected). We all had the opportunity to talk and share our testimonies over a cup of grass jelly with milk (a.k.a. 'susu leong fun', a local favourite in Sabah). We got to know Nikki as a regular young lady - a gracious, charming and down-to-earth person with an amazing love for God.
All in all, it was a fun evening. Nikki's quote at 8TV's Quickie sums it up best:
"I loved the way everything turned out. It was how God wanted it. It was how I wanted it."
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