Zalina Azman: A Peek Into The Beloved Former Newscaster’s Life Before Her Mysterious Disappearance

By Lara Alkhateri  •  10 Aug 2022 in Features

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The name Zalina Azman was especially widespread in the 90s when she was an active TV3 newscaster and host for the Money Matters programme where she masterfully discussed the likes of financial stability.

Even if you weren’t familiar with her back then, you’ve definitely heard of her now, what with news of her eight-month disappearance gracing the headlines of several local news blogs.

Her mysterious vanishing has inevitably caused Malaysians to delve into her history in attempt to crack the minute details surrounding the case.

So who was she beyond her popularity and success?

Born in 1963, Zalina served at the TV3 television station in 1990 where she held the responsibility of delivering news in Malay and English.

She was given the role of host for the 15th and 16th Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL) in 2000 and 2001, alongside Aidil Abdul Ghafar. Zalina once interviewed the former President of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, in addition to famous Hollywood stars such as Beyonce and Britney Spears.

She was also deemed ‘the most glamorous female host’ at the time.

It was disclosed in the police statement that Zalina’s son, who filed the report upon noticing her unexplained and prolonged absence, had gone looking for her along with her uncle to notify her of her father’s ill state.

Her son, Mikael Norman, is now 33 years old.

Police also confirmed that Zalina had been residing at the home in Shah Alam by herself, leading many to question her marital status.

It is publicly known that she had been married to Datuk Anuar Adam, but it is  rumoured that the pair had been separated or divorced prior to her disappearance. Some websites allege that her husband was of Indonesian descent.

Her current relationship status has not been confirmed.

source: The Spruce

In 2002, she continued her studies to pursue a Master of Journalism in London. According to News Sun Zip, she was a bachelor’s degree holder from a local university, but the exact details of her qualifications cannot be ascertained.

Additionally, upon retiring from the world of broadcasting, Zalina had two books published, namely Mystical Mangla and V for Vintage.

Following that, she is said to have become withdrawn and started living a private life. Zalina, throughout her career and subsequently, had never possessed or managed any social media accounts.

In terms of her net worth, it is estimated that Zalina holds a total of 350k USD (RM 1,559,950). However, this is solely based on public websites depicting details of her personal life.

On July 18, local media agencies shocked the nation with news that the former television host had been missing since November 2021.

It was then discovered that her phone had been switched off for unknown reasons since November 20, leading police to believe that she had been missing since then. Police also claim that they have received numerous inaccurate tip-offs from individuals asserting that they may have spotted Zalina.

Her neighbours in Section 3, Shah Alam also say that they had not seen Zalina around the neighbourhood over the past few years, and simply assumed that she was not the type to mingle.

A search of the vicinity around the home revealed that it was abandoned, with the building works of a fence left unfinished. The labourers working on the renovation projects at her residence have claimed that Zalina halted the works as she did not have the necessary funds to have them completed.

Here’s hoping that her case will be solved in the near future. 🤞