Credit : Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's X
KUALA LUMPUR, November 10, 2026 – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has wished singer Aina Abdul success as she prepares to represent Malaysia at the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia 2026 in Bangkok on November 14.
In a post shared on X on Tuesday evening, Anwar wrote in Malay that Aina would “carry Malaysia’s name” on the contest’s opening edition in Thailand. He said her participation showed that the talent and work of Malaysians could travel far and compete on an international stage, and that the people were proud of the achievement.
Win or lose, ‘still our pride’
He wrote that he was praying Aina would give her best performance with full confidence and spirit, and that, win or otherwise, she remained a source of pride for all Malaysians.
He closed the message with: “Fly high, Aina!” The post was accompanied by a photograph of the singer on stage, and carried the hashtags #EurovisionAsia, #Ainations and #YakinMADANI.
Malaysia’s first entry, in the closing slot
Anwar’s post did not name the song or the venue. Official Eurovision pages and Malaysian reports say Aina will perform Bluest Sky, a ballad she wrote with composer and producer Mac Chew, at One Bangkok Forum. The official running order, announced in late October, places her 11th and last among the 11 participating acts, after Nepal’s Pratik Himal Rai.
The official list of participants, published on eurovision.com, is: Vietnam’s Tóc Tiên; Cambodia’s Monetrey; Laos’s Thinla; Mongolia’s Beck; Bhutan’s Nyendra; the Philippines’ CARMELLE; Bangladesh’s Beatmosphere; Thailand’s MANG x DAOU; South Korea’s JUNHEE; Nepal’s Pratik Himal Rai; and Malaysia’s Aina Abdul. Official Eurovision listings schedule the contest for Saturday, November 14, with a start of 8.30pm Bangkok time, which is 9.30pm in Malaysia. Malay Mail and The Star have also reported that TV3 and the Tonton streaming service will carry it live at 9.30pm Malaysian time.
According to The Star, the winner will receive a trophy and an invitation to perform as a guest at the Eurovision Song Contest 2027 in Burgas, Bulgaria. The Asian edition follows the model of the European contest organised by the European Broadcasting Union.
Selected at Anugerah Juara Lagu
Aina was named Malaysia’s representative during the 40th Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL) on August 15, 2026. Eurovision’s official site said the opportunity to go to Bangkok was added to the prize at this year’s edition of the long-running TV3 song competition. The Star reported that, on the same night, she won the Best Performance award and a Shopee-sponsored artist’s choice honour for her song Kamu.
The official contest biography says Aina became widely known in Malaysia after taking part in Mentor Legend in 2014, and that she won The Masked Singer Malaysia in 2020. The Star, in a preview published on November 10, described her as a Johor-born singer and actress who turned 33 on October 25, and said she had won the Vocalist of the World category at the World Championship of Performing Arts in Los Angeles about 12 years ago. It also quoted her as saying she was nervous about the Bangkok show.
A national send-off
Anwar’s message is a send-off from the Prime Minister four days before the final. He framed the appearance as evidence that Malaysian artists can compete abroad, while stressing that the result would not change the country’s regard for her. Life News Agency is reporting his remarks from the X post, and the contest details from official Eurovision material and published Malaysian reports. It has not independently audited the running order or broadcast arrangements beyond those accounts.
Source: https://x.com/anwaribrahim/status/2120116080962339248
Credit : Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s X
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