For the 300 international participants of the first Asean-India Car Rally, Friday marked the penultimate stop of their 20-day journey from Assam, India, to Batam.

The 60-car-strong rally, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry to promote Asean-India connectivity, arrived in Singapore after travelling 8,000km across nine Asean countries and India.

Welcoming them at the Padang was Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong, who described the rally as one that had "broken the psychological barrier that India is a distant land".

For some 200 fans of Singapore Idol Taufik Batisah — who was celebrating his 23rd birthday — and finalist Sylvester Sim, however, it was a scream-fest not to be missed.

The arrival of the car convoy became a backdrop for the idols' first state-function performance.

Camped outside the welcome carnival marquee at the Padang, fans carrying "Happy Birthday Taufik" posters started lining the barricades before 2pm.

Though their idols arrived by 3pm looking cool in rock-star jackets and jeans, it was another three hours before the duo's stage cue.

They were kept backstage throughout the delay, which was caused by security checks as the car convoy cleared the Tuas Checkpoint before weaving through peak-hour traffic via the Pan Island Expressway to North Buona Vista, Tanglin, Orchard and Bras Basah roads to the Padang.

Taufik and Sylvester teased the crowds with their occasional toilet trips (for the record it was Taufik, one: Sly, three), and fans dutifully knocked on the walls of the portable toilets and screamed.

At about 4pm, Taufik granted the crowd an impromptu rendition of Me And Mrs Jones, a song that wowed the crowd at the recent Singapore Idol finals.

While the 30 participating drivers from the Singapore Motoring Sports Association and Automobile Association of Singapore did not croon that song, they did learn some songs along the way.

Said Singapore participant Karl Daruwalla, 33, a chartered accountant: "This is my first cross-country car rally, and we definitely learned more about the various countries we drove through.

"We also learned how to sing a soundtrack of Hindi songs by heart — it was a cassette we found in the car and listened to throughout the journey!"