Kuala Lumpur: The Miss Malaysia Tourism Pageant 2023 National Final is set to take off with 18 elegant delegates from various states, including Sabah, under the collaboration of D'Touch International Sdn Bhd and Myshoppo Sdn Bhd.
The Miss Malaysia Tourism Pageant President, Tan Sri Datuk Danny Ooi, confirmed in a press release the National Final coronation will be held on 13th October at the Berjaya Times Square Hotel, Kuala Lumpur at 7.00pm.
Speaking to the media, Danny Ooi noted that the Miss Malaysia Tourism Pageant 2023 is a one-of-a-kind competition as it incorporates three different Miss Malaysia Tourism titles where three Miss Malaysia queens will be crowned in one night.
He went on to announce all the three titles during the press conference, including Miss Malaysia Tourism 2023, Miss Malaysia Tourism Queen of the Year 2023, and Miss Malaysia Tourism Metropolitan 2023.
SPONSORED CONTENT Daily Express members: Enjoy 1 for 1 signature cocktails and more at Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu Kota Kinabalu: DAILY EXPRESS is partnering with Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu to offer an exclusive deal for our members. Read more Adding to that, the three Miss Malaysia title winners will be representing Malaysia at the Miss Tourism International 2023 World Final on 25 November at Sabah International Convention Centre, Kota Kinabalu.
Therefore, he reminded the pageants that they play an important role in promoting Malaysia's rich heritage and hospitality to the global audience at the World Final in Sabah. The Miss Malaysia Tourism Pageant 2023 to crown three queens in one night.
Meanwhile, some beauty pageants have expressed their joy and gratitude for being among the finalists before elaborating more on their long-term goals.
Joanne Clare Deaves, 23, of Sabah, told the Daily Express that she hopes to win a title in the National Final as she desires to promote Sabah's unique culture to an international audience.
However, Joanne, who competed in the Miss Chinese World 2023 on May 20, mentioned that she is well prepared for the National Final since it is not her first time competing for crowns.
"I would like to bring out the uniqueness and nature of Sabah throughout the country because it's very seldom to see our Borneo's tradition, culture and costumes elsewhere.
"In fact, if I win this competition and head to the World Final to compete at a global stage, I will definitely bring out the uniqueness of Malaysia at the Miss International Tourism World Final.
She also thanked her loved ones for their constant encouragement which kept her moving forward and eventually led her to be one of the 18 finalists of the pageant competition.
Joanne, who works in finance, has developed classy interests and abilities that could assist her win the crown in the face of stiff competition, such as cycling, yoga, and dancing.
"I'd like to thank my family, which has been a pillar tower and I'd like to thank the organisation for giving me this opportunity. I also want to thank my friends from Sabah for giving a lot of encouragement to participate in this competition," she said.
Echoing her, Sabah's Ellesha Meschille, 20, said that she desires to promote the hidden and untold Sabah culture as well as traditions that are only known in her region, claiming that many people are unaware of them.
Ellesha who’s still a tertiary education student, added that she stepped into the contest not only out of passion, but also to express her gratitude to Sabah which blessed her with a platform to survive and succeed in her field.
However, she did explain that it was not a journey to reach up to the National Final as she had to sacrifice a lot including her sleeping hours in order to do necessary preparations.
"If I win the competition, I'd connect with the people that have the same passion as me, which is to promote Sabah because it has many unique things that others can't find anywhere else.
"The toughest challenge in the entire journey to the National Final is lack of sleep because we need to do a lot of preparations for the final round but of course it's fun to do all the activities together with other participants from other states," she said.
The Miss Malaysia Tourism Pageant 2023 contest also consist of intelligent participants like Priya Darsni, 18, from Negeri Sembilan who scored straight A's in her SPM, raised concern over people's judgemental thoughts towards the modeling industry, claiming that beauty contest is not just about wearing sexy outfits but also involving internal personality and inner beauty.
Darsni who's the youngest contestant, stated that she has been wanting to compete in pageants since her schooling days, despite her parents' rejection to it as they opined that studies come first.
However, she has proven her academic stability to her parents with flying colours, before joining the Miss Malaysia Tourism Pageant 2023 pageant contest.
"Breaking the stereotype was one of the struggles which I managed to overcome. I've always thought about what if I participate in modeling and I have to wear something sexy and what my family would think?
The fact is, beauty is not in the attire but only in the view of someone because whatever you wear doesn't judge who you are as long as you know yourself.
"I have had a passion for modeling since I was in secondary school but my parents were really strict and they told me to focus on my studies until I complete my SPM examination. Then, I passed my SPM in flying colours with straight A's and now I'm focusing on my passion," she noted.
Similarly, Jen Cheang Shi Hui, 26, from Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, who works as a technical consultant, asserted that pageantry is more than just being attractive and winning a crown with a charming face since it also demands knowledge and an aptitude to transmit positive values to society.
Jen went on to remark that being able to empathize with an issue from all viewpoints and come up with efficient solutions that work best for all parties is one of the finest attributes for a beauty pageant, aside from physical attractiveness.
“Being on this platform, the main goal I want to achieve is to make education accessible and accessible for all the students as the younger generation is the future of Malaysia.
“I really want to thank my parents although they didn't really support the idea of me going to the pageant but slowly they realised that it has helped me grow further. I do understand their love for me and decisions I make in life even though they didn't express their support verbally to me,” she told Daily Express.
Besides Sabah, Kuala Lumpur and Negeri Sembilan, Miss Malaysia Tourism Pageant 2023 also has amazing pageants from seven different states including Penang, Selangor, Perak, Johor Bahru, Melaka, Pahang and Kedah with contestants ranging in age from 18 to 27.
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