Swimwear no more for Ms S'pore World?
Swimwear no more for Ms S'pore World?
Ris Low is the most (in)famous Miss World Singapore
In a bid to inject some much-needed respectability into the Miss World Singapore pageantry, its new organiser is considering throwing out a pageant staple - the swimwear segment.
"We'll either cut it out or reduce it to a quick walk-through," said Raymund Ooi, 46, who was appointed by the Miss World title owners in January to run the local franchise.
The drastic move is among a slew of others that Ooi, a businessman, has introduced since he took over. Among them: a greater focus on community work and showcasing the contestants' intellectual abilities.
At a press conference in Sentosa's Wave House to unveil this year's 20 finalists Saturday, he said the judges would evaluate their physiques at a separate beach event instead of at the final show, to be held at Suntec City in September.
"We are going to try not to arouse the audience during the finale," he said jokingly.
Earlier this year, Miss World CEO Julia Morley had slammed the local pageant as 'having a showgirl club image' and chose Ooi to revamp it.
The previous franchisee was Alex Liu, managing director of ERM World Marketing, which had run the contest for the past seven years.
In February, Colleen Francisca-Mason, the 2006 winner, said she had written to Morley about the pageant's decline.
Colleen Francisca-Mason, the 2006 winner, complained about the pageant's decline to the Miss World CEO
"I had to parade in a bikini at Eastpoint Mall and was gawked at by old men taking pictures with their mobile phones," she said then.
The pageant was already reeling from a blow in 2009 when winner Ris Low became infamous for speaking mangled English in an interview! .
She was later dethroned after a previous criminal conviction came to light.
Since taking charge, Ooi, who owns event company Limelite Productions, has brought national fund-raiser Community Chest on board.
The finalists will go to three children's homes to learn how to take care of spastic children and children with intellectual or physical disabilities.
They will also undergo four training sessions, half of which will be devoted to coaching the contestants on the question and answer segments of the finale.
Unlike in previous years, this year's finals will have two question-and-answer segments, one which the finalists can prepare for beforehand and the other impromptu.
The finalists will also make presentations about themselves to the judges.
Ooi has also assembled a team of trainers and stylists, including former Miss Singapore World Teo Ser Lee, to make sure the finalists are up to scratch.
Among the strict rules they have to follow: No wearing of dark bras under the white Miss World T-shirts, avoid wearing hotpants and shorts, make your Facebook page private, avoid pictures that show you drunk. No cheeky pictures with the boyfriend either.
"We're not here to create an angel," Ooi said. "But the finalists should understand that they will be scrutinised."
During the makeover sessions which started last week, words like 'wholesome' and 'sweet' were used often. The contestants were also constantly reminded of The Sunday Times' presence.
The wariness is understandable. For the team, the stakes are high and the hyenas many.
Even before yesterday's unveiling, the finalists had also experienced the bite of the pageant's bad reputation.
"My butt was on the front page of the newspaper," one of the con! testants said, referring to the June 20 edition of The New Paper. "It was like being ambushed. The same day my boss came and had a chat with me about appropriateness."
Biomedical student and private tutor May Hsu, 21, said some of her students' parents looked at her differently after learning she was in the pageant.
"The kids are funny. They say things like 'teacher, why you so sexy?' But I can see why the parents don't find it funny," she said.
Source: The Straits Times/ANN
Published July 17 2011
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