KUALA LUMPUR –.Colourful celebrity Azwan Ali, popularly referred to on social media as Diva AA, has denied being intentionally dramatic in announcing he had reversed his decision to contest the Gombak parliamentary seat this morning.
The entertainer and TV host said that instead of running against his brother Datuk Seri Azmin Ali of Perikatan Nasional (PN), he will be cooperating with the rival candidate from Pakatan Harapan (PH).
“There will be an interesting collaboration between me and Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari,” said Azwan. “I have already met and discussed with him.”
He stressed that although he has withdrawn from the contest as an independent candidate, his political career will not be over.
“There are many ways to continue political activities. Just wait,” he said, stressing that he will support PH in the current 15th general election (GE15).
Azwan had come to the nomination centre in Gombak to tell reporters that he would not run against Azmin, who is the incumbent, as he was advised against it by his late mother in a dream.
“It’s because of the whispers of my late Mak Tom (mother)…” he had said between sobs. “She comes to me in my dream, advising me not to contest.”
When contacted later by Getaran, the Malay-language sister portal of The Vibes, Azwan insisted that he indeed had the dream.
He was asked to comment after a video of him emotionally explaining to the press about his latest decision and the dream went viral on social media. He was accused of being overly dramatic in the way he announced his withdrawal.
Explaining the matter, Azwan said that Mak Tom told him not to compete with his estranged older brother Azmin.
“It is true that I withdrew because I had a dream of Mak Tom, and also received a call from Azmin’s wife, Datin Seri Shamsida Taharin,” he added.
"Perhaps there is some wisdom behind all this.
"I do not have the strength to fight Azmin Ali anymore. But what I can say is Azmin’s chances of winning are quite slim.”
He said that he had observed supporters of PH had come in droves to support their candidate during nomination.
Azwan was buying groceries at Chow Kit market when he was contacted by Getaran.
He said he was buying raw materials for a “rendang” dish based on the recipe passed down by his late mother.
“There are customers who are ordering my rendang. When I checked the fridge, there were not enough ingredients. I had to come to this Chow Kit market,” he said cheerfully.
He advised Azmin to listen to the song “Terbang Helang” (the eagle flies) by Sharifah Aini and comprehend the lyrics.
“The song is really suitable for Azmin because of his ego in not wanting to lose. I hope Azmin will shed tears when he hears the song,” he said. – The Vibes, November 5, 2022
