Former celeb couple Awie and Erra Fazira wowed the 1,500-strong crowd that flocked to Sentosa Amphitheatre last Saturday night. But the two hugely popular Malaysian artistes did not share the stage at the Konsert Aidilfitri organised by NTUC. They performed separately and hung out in their own cliques backstage. The audience were, if not disappointed, curious.

While Awie was addressing them, a brave voice boomed: “Where’s Erra?” There was no satisfying answer from him. Instead he hissed, “Ssshhh,” with a sheepish grin. It seemed no word was exchanged between the two former lovers. Backstage, Erra sat prim in a makeshift tent while Awie preferred to seek solace under the willowy trees outside. The only time Erra made a reference to him was when she was asked how she maintained her svelte figure.

She said: “I certainly don’t carry weights. But you can ask Awie about that.” If the hunky Awie heard her remark, he certainly hid his reaction well. They used to be the most talked-about celeb couple on both sides of the Causeway and appeared in many movies and public events together. They broke off their engagement several years ago when they couldn’t get along. And it looks like they still don’t.

Awie told this reporter later on: “There’s no interaction between me and her. Not at all. “We see each other at performances. If she says hello, I’ll reply. If not, it’s okay. What’s past is in the past. No point talking about it.”

Erra couldn’t be pinned down for a response as she was rushing to catch a flight back to Kuala Lumpur that very night. Hmm, was she in a hurry to attend to ‘family matters’ or did she wish to get home quickly to her boyfriend Yusry from boyband KRU? Awie, who’s ‘happily married’, must be missing his newborn, Puteri Aleefa Antasha, who’s 1 1/2 months old. The father of two daughters is not only adored by mat rockers but also by women of all ages.

A handful of female fans were spotted loitering backstage waiting for him to sign his autograph. When he shook hands with the audience during his performance, one makcik (Malay auntie) seized the opportunity to grab him – no kidding – and kissed him on the cheek. Awie pretended to, literally, go weak in the knees. Another makcik was overheard complimenting the 34-year-old singer.

She said out of his earshot: “He’s so handsome in real life. His complexion is so smooth!” Erra, 28, was her usual gorgeous self and performed a Britney Spears number with two male dancers. The open-air concert – luckily it didn’t rain that December night – attended by families, became a multi-cultural event of sorts. Singaporean artiste Halim Khan crooned a few Hindi songs, much to the delight of the audience. Awie joked about taking on a Hindi tune but instead broke into a Cantonese melody.

He did belt out his old hit rock ballad, Sejati. But that would be dedicated to his wife, of course.