KOTA KINABALU: Sandakan born Caster Chu is Sabah’s representative in the ongoing ‘Asia Model Festival Awards New Face Model Search 2014 and she faces 11 other finalists for the opportunity to represent Malaysia at the Asia Model Festival Awards held annually in Seoul, Korea.
Caster, who is of Chinese and Filipino parentage, said she is excited to be among the 12 finalists and will strive to do her best to do Sabah and her family proud.
The 24-year-old lass say that her family is very supportive of her joining the contest and her mother is her number on fan as well as supporter.
Caster who was helping her father run his café in Sepilok said that she decided to join the contest as she has never done anything ‘big’ in her life.
“So after learning about the contest through Facebook I decided to just give it a try and see how far I can go. Now I am one of the top 12 and I am very excited as well as happy as I did not know I can go this far.
“I am proud ,of my achievement and my parents are too,” Caster said.
She expressed her gratitude to friends and family who have supported her during her stay in Kuala Lumpur as they were the ones who put a temporary roof over her head and also shuttled her to and from the venues where the contest was held.
Caster also said that she had her supports and fans to thank as without them, she would not have made it to the top 12 in the contest.
According to the contest’s Facebook page, The ‘Asia Model Festival Awards New Face Model Search 2013’ which kicked off in October had international model and actress Amber Chia scouts for promising models to represent Malaysia, for the first time ever, at the Asia New Face Model Search (ANFMS) 2014, which will be held in conjunction with the 7th Asia Model Festival Awards (AMFA) in Seoul, Korea, widely regarded as the most prestigious “red carpet” event of the modeling industry in Asia.
Two winners – one female and one male – will be crowned the new faces of Malaysia at a grand finale in November and both these winners as well as both their respective runners-up will win an all-expense paid trip to the 7th AMFA in Seoul to compete at the ANFMS 2014.
They will also attend the prestigious “red carpet” event of the AMFA 2012 together with Amber and the winners of the ANFMS will stand a once in a lifetime chance to make their international debuts on Fashion Week runways all across the Asian region.
Caster and her fellow finalists were in Sabah to undergo photo shoots and filming in the city. The episode will be uploaded on Youtube on Nov 22, Amber said.
Two out of the 12 will be eliminated at the end of the episode, she said adding that the final two will be revealed on Nov 29.
Meanwhile Amber’s partner in her company Amber Chia Academy, Benjamin Toong said that since the first contest, they have been broadcasting their program via Youtube.
“We hope to be able to get a slot on television next year as our contest is gaining popularity among the public,” he said adding that they may open an Amber Chia Academy in Sabah as he has seen the potential the state has to offer.