The 16-year-old lass from Air Itam here said she was “unprepared”, despite local pundits predicting she could very well make it to the top three.

“First and foremost, I am very lucky to have joined this competition.

“I think the final is not going to be easy as I feel unprepared all the time,” the Form Three girl from Chung Ling High School told reporters when met at the Penang Chief Minister’s Office in Komtar yesterday.

Lee, who goes by the stage name Jeryl Lee, is now in the top five of the ‘Sing! China’ competition, closely modelled after US show ‘The Voice’. She has however refused to reveal the song she will perform at the upcoming finals.

Earlier, Jeryl received a token sum of RM1,000 from Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng as a show of support.

Fondly referring to her as the child of his Air Putih constituents Lee Luan Sung and Ivy Liew, Lim said he was happy Jeryl had made Penang proud by representing Malaysia at the finals of the singing competition in China.

“You know, she used to sing at many of my events. That was when she was 12. Anyhow, I am sure Penangites are proud of her achievements and we wish her the very best,” Lim said at a press conference earlier.

Jeryl and Singaporean Nathan Hartono, 25, are the only foreigners in the finals, that will be held at the National Stadium in Beijing next Friday.

Besides them, Chinese nationals Xu Geyang, 20; Jiang Dunhao, 21; Wang Chenrui, 25; and Yang Meina, 27; will battle each other for the coveted prize.

The competition’s panel of mentors are composed of famous Chinese singers Na Ying, Wang Feng, Jay Chou and Harlem Yu.

Last week, Jeryl sang an English number, ‘Fight Song’, vowing the judges cum mentors of the show.

Jeryl is among three Malaysian girls — Shila Amzah and teen star Adinda Tasya Mansor — who have made a name for themselves in Chinese singing competitions of late.