Pageant News
The search is on for Miss Malaysia/World 2008
By VIVIENNE PAL
Jun 10, 2008, 13:10

PERSPECTIVE comes in the strangest ways. Deborah Priya Henry can attest to that, especially now – almost a year after winning the Miss Malaysia/World 2007 crown.

“I never wanted to take part in any pageant,” she says, reminiscing of the time when her friends coaxed her to join the pageant after she returned from her studies in Australia.

“But, my mindset is changed after experiencing and winning it.”

Deborah Priya Henry: ‘A title allows you to be noticed so that you can make a difference and more importantly, it opens many doors.’

Like many women, Deborah initially could not quite see the point of competing in the pageant – until she started thinking of how it could be a platform not just for her career, but also to learn and achieve the things that she held close to her heart.

“By then I didn’t care what others thought of me anymore. Who cares anyway? It was more about what I could do, learn and achieve.

“A title allows you to be noticed so that you can make a difference and more importantly, it opens many doors.

“It has taught me a lot about poise, deportment and confidence, and that has helped in my career as a model. Now I am not just a model, I am my own person, and I have more control.

“It has helped develop me as a person in an indirect way. I’ve experienced an ongoing process of learning, an awareness of social issues through work with World Vision and various NGOs – which are some of the things that I wanted to do,” she says in retrospect.

Deborah’s reign will soon come to an end and the organisers of this year’s pageant – henceforth renamed as Miss World Malaysia 2008 – are opening the floor to a new batch of beauties that subscribe to the pageant’s longstanding theme of beauty with a purpose.

The Miss World Malaysia pageant is one of the most prestigious events staged annually in Malaysia, giving the worthy candidate an opportunity of being selected to represent the country on various international platforms.

Applicants must between 18 and 24 years of age on or before Dec 31, possess a minimum height of 165cm and should be conversant in English or Bahasa Malaysia, or both. She should, naturally, be beautiful.

But there’s more to the pageant than just that, says pageant executive producer and Beyond Events and Model.com general manager, Amin Hussen.

“The term ‘beauty queen’ should be redefined. We should take another step forward to explore, find a woman who dares to voice her thoughts, speaks the unspoken and stands up for the women who have been silent all this while, and yet, knows when to step back.

“We do not need pencil-thin girls to win the crown, but those who are healthy both physically and mentally,” he explains.

This is important, he says, as the winner would be involved in various charitable causes in keeping with the pageant’s philosophy.

This year’s pageant is set to be different, not just with the change in name, but also in its judging system.

According to Amin, it is the public who will select the winner to represent the country for the World Pageant in Ukraine this September.

“Our professional panel of judges will act as the gatekeeper, but it is Malaysians who will decide who is most suitable to represent the country. We are in the midst of finalising the details and updates will be posted on our website,” he reveals, adding that the change in name was reflective of the franchiser, which is Miss World.

When asked about the possible backlash on such an unorthodox approach, Amin has a simple reply: “This is Malaysia and she is a democratic country.”

To date, there has been an overwhelming response since the first announcement of the competition, with the number exceeding 50 “and still counting”.

The franchise office for the Miss World Malaysia pageant is DDB Public Relations Sdn Bhd while the official organiser is Beyond Events Sdn Bhd and Model.com. Closing date for applications is 5pm on June 13.

For more information, visit: www.missworldmalaysia.com.my

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