(Jawi: محمد ازوان بن علي; born 13 February 1966), also known by his nickname as Diva AA, is a Malaysian television host and actor.
Early life and career He was born in Kandang Kerbau Hospital, Singapore. He and his entire family were originally Singaporean citizens but his parents eventually chose to become Malaysian citizens after the separation of Singapore and Malaysia in 1965. His family chose to live in Kampung Klang Gate Baru, Gombak, Kuala Lumpur and that is where Azwan Ali grew up. Azwan obtained a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Malaya in 1991, and before that also obtained a diploma certificate from Universiti Teknologi MARA. His father Ustaz Haji Ali Omar is from Jurong, Singapore and his mother Hajah Che Tom Yahaya is from Changi, Singapore and now lives in Kampung Klang Gate, Taman Melawati, Ulu Kelang, Selangor, Malaysia.
Azwan Ali once acted in the film Aku No. 1 directed by Datuk Haji Aznil Nawawi and won the 1999 Best Asian Television Award for the "Best Talk Show" category through his program Cit Cat Azwan which aired for 12 years on Astro Ria. Azwan is also a drama and sitcom director and is famous for the telefilms Lontong (1995) and Sambal (1996). He is famous for the phrase See My Level World Class. Apart from that, Azwan Ali is also famous for his pet name AA or Baby AA.
Azwan was born on 13 February 1966 at Kandang Kerbau Hospital, Singapore. His father was a religious teacher and clerk named Haji Ali Omar from Jurong, Singapore (1927–1999) and his mother was a housewife named Hajah Che Tom Yahaya from Changi, Singapore (1935–2017) was a housewife. One of Azwan's older brothers is a prominent Malaysian politician, Dato' Seri Azmin Ali. Azwan later grew up in Kampung Klang Gates, Melawati and attended Setapak High School after his parents chose to become Malaysian citizens. In 1985, Azwan continued his studies in public administration at Universiti Teknologi MARA, Dungun branch, Terengganu. After that, he obtained a degree in law from University of Malaya in 1989.
With TV3 (Music, Song Champion Award, Screen Award, Melody) Azwan's career as a television host began when he joined TV3 on 13 March 1988 after undergoing an audition suggested by host Wan Zaleha Radzi. Wan Zaleha noticed Azwan's talent after attending a program with University of Malaya students organized by Azwan. Azwan was assigned as the host of the popular song request program, Sampaikan. His talent was nurtured to become a host at the early age of 22. Azwan had the opportunity to try his talent as an actor when he starred in the television drama titled Naik Tangga Turun Tangga in 1989 and after that the film Harry Boy (1991). Azwan was also invited to duet with singer Wann in the song Nilai Cinta.
In 1989, Azwan took over as the host of the popular weekly entertainment program Muzik Muzik with his partner Charmaine Agustine. Through that show, Azwan made a name for himself and made the program and the annual Anugerah Juara Lagu event to the peak of popularity throughout Malaysia. At TV3, Azwan also served as a producer and was an important person in shaping the content of popular TV shows such as Melodi, Skrin, Teleskop, Mikroskop, In-Person and many more. While with TV3, he pioneered a new style of hosting and became a reference for many new hosts after that. Azwan is known for his efficiency and wisdom in hosting entertainment programs. In 1994, he won the award for Best TV Personality at the first Anugerah Skrin.
After that, Azwan was able to continue his acting talent in the drama Perang Mertua with actress Nor Aliah Lee in 1995. Azwan also directed many comedy dramas with parody elements for TV3 broadcasts. Among the most memorable are the serial drama Sambal (1994–1996) and the raya drama Lontong (1996). Azwan hosted the gossip show Melodi for several years when Seniwati Fauziah Ahmad Daud was assigned as the host. At that time, various innovations were introduced by Azwan to attract many viewers to watch the program. Azwan also hosted the show
forum talk show Teleskop and later rebranded as Mikroskop due to controversy involving statements made by the artists involved. Azwan was with TV3 for 10 years before deciding to leave a permanent career as a TV3 personality in 1997.
In 1997, Azwan starred in the box office film Puteri Impian by playing the character of himself. In the film, the character of a factory girl played by Amy Mastura was depicted as very interested in Azwan and Azwan's television programs.
With Astro (Cit Cat Azwan) After leaving TV3, Azwan established Azwan Ali Production. Shortly after, he was approached by Astro, which was still in operation at the time, to produce his own. Azwan started with the program Action! in 1997, but the program was canceled and recommended to be replaced by a talk program hosted by Azwan himself. In July 1998, the Cit Cat Azwan program began airing on the Astro channel. Azwan's casual talk show interviewing local and regional artists received much attention and praise from television viewers. In 1999, Azwan won the Best Talk Show award at the 8th Asian Television Awards in Singapore.
Azwan's Cit Cat show aired for 12 years and was well known for its catchphrase "Amboi, Amboi, Amboi".
Along with that, Azwan also managed to gather dozens of artists every year to celebrate the Cit Cat Azwan Party held at leading resorts nationwide. This program was organized from 1999 to 2007 where many of the artists involved were also given awards at a special awards night. After his contract at Astro was terminated and the end of Cit Cat Azwan's show, he returned to TV3 for the talk show Jangan Tidur Lagi paired with celebrity Adlin Aman Ramli. Azwan's relationship with this program did not last long as it only aired for 2 seasons before being replaced by another host.
Became Diva AA After that, Azwan was somewhat fluctuating in his artistic career when he was no longer the main choice of television stations. However, every time he appeared on TV, especially after introducing the characters Baby AA (for the program Propaganza) and Diva AA, he definitely left an impact and became a topic of public conversation until he was known as a Controversial Artist.
In 2013, Azwan participated in the cooking reality program Masterchef Celebrity Malaysia and a year later Masterchef Celebrity All Stars. In 2015, he joined the ranks of young artists in the Running Man-like program, namely Lari, broadcast on TV9. Azwan's appearance in the program was loved by many because of his funny and honest actions. After that, Azwan also appeared in the program Aku Yang Masak Kau Yang Panas broadcast by Astro.
Political Scene Since 2016, Azwan has not been active on TV and only appears occasionally either as a guest or as an invited judge. In 2018, Azwan contested the 14th General Election in the Bukit Antarabangsa State Assembly as an independent candidate against his brother, Azmin. Despite losing, Azwan's story went viral in the mass media. Azwan's involvement in the political scene somewhat drowned out his artistic career. In 2019, Azwan then announced that he would move to London, United Kingdom but returned to Malaysia shortly before the implementation of the Malaysian Movement Control Order 2020-21.
Results of the Bukit Antarabangsa DUN General Election + Selangor State Legislative Assembly Results only available from the 2004 election. Percentage figures based on total turnout. Percentage figures based on total turnout.YearConstituencyCandidateVotesPctOpponent(s)VotesPctBallot CastsMajorityTurnout2018N19 Bukit AntarabangsaMohamed Azwan Ali (IND)900.23%Mohamed Azmin Ali (PKR)30,89279.64%39,05725,51284.44%Salwa Yunus (UMNO)5,38013.87%Syarifah Haslizah Syed Ariffin (PAS)2,3115.96%Ahmad Kamarudin (PRM)1160.30%
Comeback 2020 After several years of isolation and involvement in the national political scene, Azwan returned to TV3 through the second season of the program Lagu Cinta Kita together with Elly Mazlein. This program received widespread praise and was watched by over 3 million viewers each week, while also reviving the name of Azwan, who was missed by viewers.
Filmography Television Shows / Streams Year Show Concept Total seasons Notes Channel 1988–1994 Sampaikan Raya Song Request 14 seasons (280 episodes, two seasons per year) Host / Video JockeyTV3 1989–1996 Muzik-Muzik Anugerah Juara Lagu Charts & Talk Shows 8 seasons 364 episodes 1989-1990 - Co-host with Charmaine Agustine, the rest solo1996 - only hosted the Semi-Finals stage as co-producer from 1994 -1996 1991 Meriah Selera Cooking Program 1 season 1992–1993 Dunia Lelaki Magazine Program 2 seasons 1992 Tiru Macam Saya Candawara 1 season also as a scriptwriter 1994–1996 Melodi Entertainment News 3 seasons also as a screenwriter 1994–1997 Skrin Movie Talk 4 seasons also as screenwriter The Host with Emma Hussin 1994–1995 Teleskop Forum 1 season also as a screenwriter 1995–1997 Mikroskop Azwan Ali Forum 2 seasons also as a screenwriter The second season is hosted by Tiara Jacquelina 1995–1996 Anugerah Skrin Film/TV Awards Ceremony Special Program also as a scriptwriter 1997 Bersama di Hari Raya TV Entertainment Special program Also performed singing 1997 Action! Infotainment 1 season Astro Ria 1998 Temasya Aidilfitri TV Entertainment Special program assisted by Mr. Os TV1 1998–2009 Cit Cat Azwan Parti Cit Cat Azwan Talk Show 12 seasons (299 episodes, including Cit Cat Raya) also as a scriptwriter, editor Guest hosts include Sheila Rusly, Sharifah Shahora, Saiful Apek, Dina Nadzir, Johan Astro Ria 1998 Malaysia Boleh! TV Entertainment 1998 Commonwealth Games special program TV2 1998–1999 Satu TV Entertainment 1 season also as a scriptwriter TV1 2000 KLCC 2020 Millennium Night TV Entertainment New Year 2000 special program Co-host Linda OnnAstro Ria 2000–2002, 2008–2009 Cak Cak TV Entertainment 4 seasons also as a screenwriter 2004–2005 Hits 1 Song Charts 2 seasons second season with Annahita Bakavoli TV1 2004–2007 Rentak Juara Rhythm of the Champion Band Music Competition (Reality) 4 seasons with Saiful (KLFM) TV2 2007–2008 Jangan Tidur lagi Talk Show / TV Entertainment 2 seasons Host with Adlin Aman Ramlie TV3 2009 Amboi...Amboi...Amboi TV Entertainment 1 season also as a scriptwriter Astro Prima 2010–2011 Tiada Lama Tiada Baharu TV Entertainment / Candawara 1 season also as a scriptwriter Co-host Didie Alias TV1 2011–2013 Propaganza Entertainment News 2 seasons Katanya Baby AA Segment Host Astro Ria 2013–2014 Untuk Dia Entertainment TV / Musical 1 season also as a scriptwriterTV2 2014 Ketupat Rendang Boom Entertainment TV / Musical Special programs also as a scriptwriter 2020 Lagu Cinta Kita (Season 2) Singing Competition (Reality) / Talk 1 season Co-host Elly Mazlein TV3 2021–2022 Laser Bertemu Laser Diva AA Talk Show 2 seasons Astro Ria / Astro Gempak 2021 MyResepi Cooking Program 1 season as a celebrity chef Oh! Bulan / TV3 2021 Kasi Settle Itu Lirik Candawara 1 season JAwesome TV 2022 Mic ON! (Season 2) Singing Competition (Reality) 1 season Co-host with Issey Fazlisham
Awards ceremony (as host) Year Event Type Channel 1989 Anugerah Juara Lagu Ke-4Live BroadcastTV3 1990 Anugerah Juara Lagu Ke-5 1991 Anugerah Juara Lagu Ke-6 1992 Anugerah Juara Lagu Ke-7 1993 Anugerah Juara Lagu Ke-8 1994 Anugerah Juara Lagu Ke-9 1995 Anugerah Skrin 1995 Anugerah Juara Lagu Ke-10 1996 Anugerah Pilihan Pembaca Media Hiburan 1996Recording Entertainment Media 1999 Cit Cat Azwan (season 1)Astro Ria 2000 Cit Cat Azwan (season 2) 2001 Cit Cat Azwan (season 3) 2002 Cit Cat Azwan (season 4)2004 Cit Cat Azwan (season 5) Pencarian Hero Remaja 2004 Karangkraf/Astro Ria2005 Hits 1 Final (2004)Live Broadcast TV1 Anugerah Skrin 2005 TV3 Hits 1 Final (2005) TV1 Cit Cat Azwan (season 6)RecordingAstro Ria 2007 Cit Cat Azwan (season 7)
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