Leading pop star Siti Nurhaliza Taruddin today ended months of intense speculation by announcing she will marry a wealthy businessman 20 years her senior after his recent divorce.

Siti, 27, finally revealed her feelings for Khalid Mohamad Jiwa at a packed press conference broadcast live on television.

The engagement and wedding parties are to be held simultaneously on Aug 21, with a lavish wedding reception planned on Aug 28 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, the city's newest exhibition space.

Her romance with the recently-divorced entrepreneur, who has four children, has been the subject of fevered speculation in Malaysia's tabloids for months.

"I would like to keep private some of the things I find attractive about Datuk Khalid, but one of the most endearing qualities is the love he has for his children, that impresses me," said Siti.

Dressed in a modest yellow and orange ethnic Malay floor-length outfit, she was flanked by her fiance who sported a matching yellow shirt.

"I think Siti is a very special person, in many ways," said Khalid, when asked about his feelings for the fresh-faced star.

National icon

A national icon in Malaysia, Siti has released about a dozen Malay-language albums which mainly feature love songs.

She also has legions of adoring fans in neighbouring Indonesia, Brunei and Singapore, and has won MTV music video awards for the past four years.

Siti Nurhaliza's wholesome, girl-next-door image is popular with the region's large Muslim population which frowns on sexy foreign artists.

In May, she caused a sensation in conservative Malaysia by declaring she was in love and "enjoying every minute of it", although at the time she brushed aside reports connecting her with Khalid, whose divorce was finalised earlier this month.

On Monday, she dismissed questions over the age gap with 47-year-old Khalid.

"For me the age difference is not an issue ... it is all in the hands of God. Our relationship, meeting, life and death is all in the hands of God," she said.