Love him or loathe him, you've got to respect Azwan Ali for his brutal honesty. Which is also his biggest vice. Azwan Ali made his confession with a explosive book on transvestites title "Selamat Jalan Dunia Pondan".
The top Malaysian TV host - notoriously known for his acidic tongue and flamboyant style - is set to release a tell-it-all book on his conflicted life as a man who has kept in touch with his feminine side, and how Islam is changing him, titled Selamat Jalan Dunia Pondan [Goodbye Transvestite World].
"It's my true confession. It's my real life story," Azwan told The Daily Chilli exclusively about his controversial autobiography.
So is he out of the closet, you ask? "I'm not a hypocrite. I am who I am," he declares.
"There are a lot of male celebrities like me in the local entertainment industry. But I don't think they've got the guts to own up to it like I do. Semua guna cover line [Everyone is trying to cover up his sexuality]."
But as a 'born-again' Muslim who has performed umrah [small haj] twice, the 44-year-old says he's learning to live his life as a practising Muslim these days.
"I've always been searching for God's divine guidance," he says. "That's why I went to Mecca. I want to learn to be a better human being who can serve his Lord better. And the idea to write the book came when I was doing my umrah for the first time in 2009."
Selamat Jalan Dunia Pondan comprises 15 shocking chapters that redefined his life the most.
In the book, Azwan also reveals his special friendship with the "3 Siti" - pop stars Ziana Zain, Siti Nurhaliza and Fauziah Latiff and how they altered his perception of women.
So far, Ziana is the only love interest that Azwan has made public.
"The world has accused me of becoming a pondan because the three women rejected me," he drops hints. "But you have to read my book to understand my relationship with them. The stories come with never-released-before photos - all taken from my personal collection."
Well, that's not all the juicy bits. Azwan also talks about married men whom he knows are crazy about gay sex. "It's meant to be a good lesson for everyone," he opines. "I'm sharing my life experience with everybody."
Citing that the world of pondans is constantly misunderstood, he adds, "It takes someone who's lived that kind of life to really know how it feels. We're mocked at. We're ridiculed. I even got tranny friends who have been murdered mercilessly in hate crimes."
Priced at RM21.90, Selamat Jalan Dunia Pondan will be available in major bookstores nationwide on Feb 13 next year.
Via dailychilli.com