Akademi Fantasia, Season 5 is the fifth season of Akademi Fantasia to air in Astro Ria. For this season, Akademi Fantasia was held from March to May, unlike the previous four seasons which were held between May to August because the producer did not want the show to clash with Malaysia's 50th Anniversary of Independence Day. The winner was 19-year old Norsyarmilla Jirin, from Pulau Pinang, who became the first female champion of the show. Throughout this season, as much as 6.6 million votes were cast, with 1.9 million votes received in the finale.