JoanneBelle Ng (C), winner of Miss Malaysia 2009, second placed Cassandra Patrick (L) and third placed Claudia Tania Sibert pose for photos, in Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia, May 30, 2009. Twenty-one-year old JoanneBelle Ng will represent Malaysia at the upcoming Miss Universe 2009 pageant to be held in the Bahamas on August 23.
JoanneBelle Ng, Miss Malaysia 2009
SINCE last year, the Miss Malaysia Universe franchise has been held by Beyond Entity with Syeba Yip as event director and Heah Sieu Lay as chairman. Known more for his financial dealings than beauty queen wheelings, Heah is convinced a Miss Malaysia will bring home the Miss Universe crown or at least be in the top five, a feat he sees as possible.
“This year’s candidates are top class and include four working in the banking industry and high finance. All speak English unlike in previous pageants when some contestants needed interpreters which is untenable at international level.” he says.
SUKAINA al-Zayer is an unlikely beauty queen hopeful. She covers her face and body in black robes and an Islamic veil, so no one can tell what she looks like. She also admits she’s a little on the plump side.
But at Saudi Arabia’s only beauty pageant, the judges don’t care about a perfect figure or face. What they’re looking for in the quest for ‘Miss Beautiful Morals’ is the contestant who shows the most devotion and respect for her parents.
‘The idea of the pageant is to measure the contestants’ commitment to Islamic morals… It’s an alternative to the calls for decadence in the other beauty contests that only take into account a woman’s body and looks,’ said pageant founder Khadra al-Mubarak.
“And the winner of Miss Universe New Zealand is Miss Southern First National, Katie Taylor.”
With those incongruous words an Aucklander competing in her fourth beauty pageant was declared a winner for the first time.
The annual orgy of bikinis, frocks and hairspray is not what it used to be. Once the pageant topped the television ratings and drew huge live audiences. Today it continues only because of the dedication of a small band of enthusiasts and the contestants themselves.
The media blasted model Stephanie Naumoska after the Miss Universe Australia contestant displayed her skeletal frame during the competition — and now, she’s blasting back at her haters.
“I’ve never cried more in my entire life,” Naumoska said on “Good Morning America” today of her global weight controversy.
Stephanie stressed to Diane Sawyer that she’s never suffered from any type of eating disorder. “There are people out there who are naturally skinny, and naturally slim like myself. I don’t think it’s fair that I was judged by the whole entire world based on a photo and my appearance.”
The 22-year-old aspiring motivational speaker who already held the Miss North Carolina USA title, edged out runner-up Miss California USA Carrie Prejean and Miss Arizona USA Alicia-Monique Blanco.
Contestants from all 50 states and the District of Columbia competed in the live pageant televised from Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.
Contestants were judged by their performance in swimsuit and evening gown modeling contests and their responses to a question asked onstage; unlike the rival Miss America pageant, Miss USA contestants do not perform a talent.
Miss California says she stands by her anti-gay-marriage comments, even if they may have cost her the Miss USA crown.
Carrie Prejean defended her views Tuesday on NBC’s “Today” show, telling host Matt Lauer that she spoke from the heart during Sunday’s pageant when she said that “marriage should be between a man and a woman.”
The beauty queen’s response to a question from openly gay pageant judge and celebrity blogger Perez Hilton has received more attention than the winner, Miss North Carolina Kristen Dalton. During the pageant, Hilton asked Prejean if every state should follow Vermont in legalizing same sex marriage.
