COURTING A DIFFERENT IMAGE

HE survived being sequestered with his infamous sister Umi Hafilda during the Anwar Ibrahim trial. He virtually held court and created memorable candid shots with his synchronised and suave outfits during the lengthy court proceedings and whined his way through his forthright claim that ``my sister is a virgin,'' which grabbed headlines in some tabloids.

In short, TV personality Azwan Ali, with his often peculiar close-cropped hairdo, attracted attention everywhere he went during that period. But if you asked him if he would go through the same ordeal, he shudders at the thought.

``I would break into cold sweat recollecting the experience. I'd never want to go through that but I don't regard it as a mistake. I was demoralised to the verge of giving up on my profession but fortunately my mother gave a lot of moral support,'' recalled Azwan.

``I was barred from many functions and sidelined by corporate companies. This was especially bad as I was running my own business.

"The saddest part is I'm not even guilty. I did it because it was my absolute and ultimate right as a brother and to show my total support for a younger sister who is caught in a quandary,'' griped the University Malaya law graduate.

This stylish and trim 34-year-old announcer doesn't mind talking about the painful experience.

He finds it therapeutic to discuss the subject freely and at length. He has no reservations to throw punches but what he simply can't imagine is how narrow-minded some people could be.

``People can't differentiate between what is personal and what isn't. They cursed me and hurled all sorts of insults at me on the Internet. Some even spat when I walked past them and all I did was accompany my sister to court.''

But what really jolted him to reality was how the negative reports jeopardised his career.

``I lost everything except my Astro programmes and for this I am eternally grateful to the TV station," said Azwan, who is the fifth of six siblings.

"I knew there were many quarters who tried to play safe and didn't want to commission or work with me.

"I am sure other artistes would have given up if they were in my shoes ...''

It was in December 1999 that his pet project Cit Cat Bersama Azwan won third place at the 1999 Asian TV Awards, among 1,000 entries.

``It's a typical entertainment programme presented in an exclusive way. We try to inject something different every week. We have a lot of sponsors from hotels and airlines.

"Even the recent Party Cit-Cat enjoyed overwhelming response. We hope to make it an annual affair,'' said the announcer-turned-producer who produced Cit Cat under his own Azwan Ali Production, which he set up in September 1997.

Hopefully, he said, Cit Cat Bersama Azwan which is entering its fifth season, can last another five years.

``I am prepared to let go of the programme. But as long as people don't get tired of me, I will carry on.''

Apart from this, Azwan's other programme Cak Cak, a light comedy drama with a social message, is quite well-received on Astro Ria.

Though still new, the concept of Cak Cak is quite original. But the show is not without its share of criticisms.

``I don't mind if Cak Cak is being scrutinised. This is a reality check and it is constructive.

"The common complaint I received is about the slapstick elements. Still, I don't think the slapstick depicted can be labelled as silly.''

One of the main actors, Louisa Chong, was dropped because she was said to overact.

``Although I am the director, there are certain things which is beyond my control. Since Astro is a pay TV station, it has the responsibility to give good service. It was an inevitable decision,'' explained Azwan.

The present artiste line-up comprises Yusni Jaafar, Jaafar Onn, Angeline Tan, Salleh Yaacob and Farouk Hussein.

Is it true that he has prevented certain artistes from appearing in his shows?

``This is something I'm forced to do and it's because of their attitude.

"There are two popular personalities who really irk me. One is a popular singer who projects a goody-two-shoes image who has a brother and sister-in-law to run the show for her. I'm really surprised that she is so big-headed.

"The other celebrity axed was because he badmouthed other artistes,'' explained Azwan, who was the brains behind the entertainment programmes Sambal and Lontong.

Azwan joined TV3 in 1988. At 21, he was the youngest TV host who hosted the request programme Sampaikan.

From there, he moved on to host and, at times, help in the production of Muzik Muzik.

He was known as the Muzik Muzik compere for nine long years and also hosted Juara Lagu for a couple of years.

From helming in-house programmes such as Melodi, Muzik Muzik and Mikroskop, he was invited to host other prestigious local awards shows Anugerah Industri Muzik (AIM) and Anugerah Bintang Popular.

Azwan was voted Most Popular TV Personality in the 1994 Anugerah TV3 awards. He now aspires to be the Best Presenter in Malaysia. Let's see if his dream will come true in the Asian TV Awards 1999 next month.

``Maybe it's no big deal for others but I regard it as the zenith of my career as a presenter. It will definitely be good for my resume if that happens,'' said the former High School Setapak student.

After 12 years in this line, Azwan has become accustomed to nicknames like Gila Glamor and Syok. He regards them as trademarks and not insults.

``I take it positively. It's not derogatory. In fact, I don't mind carrying these titles to my grave.

"After all, how many Azwan Ali can there be,'' said the affable TV personality.

BY ZIEMAN - PUBLISHED 19/11/2000