REPORT BY BLOGGER KEE HUA CHEE.
Never in the history of Malaysian Pageants has the cash prize been so huge: A staggering of RM 200,000.
Yes, this is no typo error. The new Miss Malaysia World 2011, Chloe Chen, will get or has already got RM 100,000 cash on coronation night while the remaining RM 100,000 cash will be given to her by the end of her reign in 2012 upon completion of her duties in promoting FusionExcel’s “Hope For Children” charity fund raising campaign.
Now it is up to Chloe Chen to prove she can take home the Miss World Crown this November at the Miss World Finals in London. If not, I bet my bottom dollar the cash prize next year will plunge to a more realistic level of RM 20,000 to RM 50,000. Personally I think RM 200,000 is way too much for a beauty contest. The original cash prize was quarter million ringgit as in RM 250,000 but I manage to persuade Miss Malaysia World Franchise holder Paul Ting to lower it.
Even so RM 200,000 was beyond belief and I was all set to undergo a sex change and cut it off to take part but was told that would be futile as the, AHEM, Cut-off Age was 26 and I am 35. The entire amount of RM 200,000 is in cold cash and not prizes worth RM 200,000 as a dinner date with me is already worth RM 1 million!
The winner of Mis Chinese Cosmos Southeast Asia, Natalie Chiaw, also won RM 200,00 but it was in cash and kind as the cash was RM 30,000. Paul Ting is of the opinion if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys. I hope all my editors are reading this and increasing my pay right this minutes. Then again, they have always referred to me as a monkey, ape, orang utan and simian..
As it is, Chloe Chen has only 3 months or less to get ready as the 61st Miss World Finals will be on 06th November 2011 at Earls Court Exhibition Centre when Miss World 2011 Alexandra Mills should hopefully crown Chloe Chen as Miss World 2012.
FusionExel even took out a full page advertisement in The Star Newspaper on 25th August 2011 to Congratulate the winners and we all know 1 page in The Star costs around RM 35,000 since The Star is Malaysia’s leading daily with a readership of 1.5 million per day! I bet the total costs of production must be a least RM 300,000 or more.
Some countries have taken the additional step of planning nearly year ahead for their contestants to get ready! Even our Miss Malaysia Universe 2011 Deborah Henry was appointed Miss Malaysia Universe way back in January this year so she would have plenty of time preparing for the Miss Universe 2011 Finals in Sao Paolo, Brazil on 12th September 2011.
Deborah Henry of course was Miss Malaysia World 2007 and she was in the Top 16 (I guess she must be number 16) at the grand finals. She enjoyed the highest placing (if you consider being in the Top 16 a big deal) since Lina Teoh made it as 2nd runner-up in the Miss World 2008 finals at Mahe island, Seychelles though sour grapes have whined she only got this far as the hotel was owned by a Malaysian. But then these are green-eyed monsters so just ignore them and applaud Deborah Henry and Lina Teoh. Here is wishing Deborah Henry all the best for her finals at Sao Paolo on 12 September 2011 and may she return with the crown. I wonder if I will ever live to see the day when 2 Miss Malaysia bring home the Miss Universe and Miss World crowns in the same year!
Even Deborah Henry, with her previous experience a Miss Malaysia World, enjoyed the benefits of 9 months preparation so I hope Chloe Chen, 21, who has never taken part before in a beauty pageant, will have enough time to pull up her socks and put her best leg forward! Being a novice is a handicap as some winners took part in nearly half a dozen contests before winning a big one.
Perhaps Paul Ting can organize the next Miss Malaysia World in December 2011 or January 2012 so the next Miss Malaysia World can have up to 10 months preparation. This is vital as time gives that rarest of rare commodity----experience. If you have 10 months to get ready, you can practice public speaking, public relations, doing charity work and saying all the right things at the right time till the cows come home. And when the time comes, you will be polished to perfection with no butterflies in the tummy, no knees that resemble jelly and no stuttering and fumbling on stage.
Mind you, Chloe Chen slipped TWICE on stage as her gown caught her high heels but this is not the audience's fault nor the judges' business as there should be no excuses. Luckily she didn't fall flat on her face! Like they say, even the best laid plans can suffer last minute hitches!
Still, everyone asked agreed Chloe Chen was the best choice and she was, I believe, the unanimous choice by the judges. I thought contestant 25 was also stunning but alas, she was a wee bit overweight! She did not even make it to the Top 5 as maybe the judges feared she would not be able to lose the excess flesh in 2 months before the November 6 world finals in London.
The judges were top designer Carven Ong, founder of Islamic Fashion Week Datuk Raja Rezza Shah, singer Datuk Khatijah Ibrahim, president of MODA Gillian Hung, founder of A Cut Above Winne Loo and Miss Malaysia World 2009 Thanuja Ananthan.
The lady who groomed and choreographed the entire show was Queen maker herself Maggie Loo who was Miss Malaysia Universe 1973 who is also ambassador for 'Hope for Children' charity. Maggie Loo organized Super Model of the World Malaysia in 1988 and 1989 and must be the best person for the job!
The 25 finalists checked into the fabulous, 5-star Sunway Resort, Hotel and Spa on 21 July for a month till 20 August.
The board of advisors were Puan Sri Dr Susan Cheah whose husband Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah owns Sunway Hotel, the theme park and Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre, Paul Lee the renowned Pageant Promoter and former owner of Royal London Circus, Dato Anne Eu, Clara Chee, Tan Sri Devaki Krishnan, Sarojini Ruth and Maggie Loo.
The new Miss Malaysia World 2011/12 Chloe Chen
waving atme since I went backstage to tell
her I predicted she would win
Kee Hua Chee with the new Miss Malaysia World 2011 Chloe Chen as Paul Ting, the franchise holder, looked on behind Kee
Kee Hua Chee with the top 3 winners; 2nd runner-up Chua Yee See, 1st runner-up Pamela Tam and Miss Malaysia World 2011 Chloe Chen
Kee Hua Chee with the outgoing Miss Malaysia World 2010 Nadia Heng. Ignore his tongue sticking out from his groin. It was not sneering at the lovely Nadia
Kee Hua Chee with Miss Malaysia World 2009 Thanuja who looked stunning in a Carven Ong.
Maggie Loo with judges; left, Datuk Khatijah Ibrahim, Gillian Hung, Maggie Loo, Thanuja, Nadia Heng, Winnie Loo and Carven Ong. Missing is judge Datuk Shah Rezza
Dr Reiki Soo of VL Skincare joined in
The ever lovely Nadia Heng, outgoing Miss Malaysia World 2010 in Carven Ong gown.
Nadia Heng and designer Carven Ong whose gown she is wearing
Kee Hua Chee and Nadia Heng are both wearing Carven Ong but his pants were hand painted in Bangkok with his face on his groin.
Datuk Khatijah Ibrahim, Winnie Loo, Maggie Loo, Paul Ting and Carven Ong
Renowned pageant promoter Paul Lee, his pretty wife Doris Lee and Tan Sri Devaki Krishnan
All eyes are only on the woman who ran out of fabric while sewing her gown
The first round in daywear
Von Jolly's costumes
A bevy of 25 beauties
Filipino boy singer Clarke Gamo who was a street urchin and now he will be performing at Miss World finals in London on 6 November
The 2 Pauls, Paul Ting and Paul Lee on stage with FE directors and children led by Clarke Gamo.