The invited guests and the 12 finalists during yesterday’s press conference.
Weena
KOTA KINABALU: Twelve Sabahans will compete in the Miss Sabah Tourism 2016 where top three finalists will be selected in a grand final here to represent Sabah in the Miss Malaysia Tourism 2016 National Final in August.
The finalists, aged between 18 and 26, are Cindy Jennifer David, Haru Bo Yen Yee, Nikki Lavender De Souza, Alexsa Chin, Jamie Wong, Tatiana Millip, Deirdre Cassandra, Joanne Chong, Kimberly Vung, Sharon Chew, Illyka Chanty and Rachel Justin.
This year, the pageant is proudly presented by the SG Group, a renowned local property developer, with Poise Productions as the organiser.
Miss Malaysia Tourism 2009 winner Weena Marcus also announced that model, actress, TV host and brand ambassador Amber Chia will be making a special appearance as a celebrity guest judge for this year’s state final.
The 12 finalists, who were present during a press conference at Avangio Hotel here yesterday, were chosen out of 35 hopefuls who had completed an online application.
Weena, who is also the appointed State director of Miss Sabah Tourism, said tthe finalists were selected based on two main criteria.
“Of course, we have to be realistic with the fact that this is a beauty pageant. We are looking for an ambassador who is presentable and able to converse well. When I auditioned these girls, not only was I looking at their physical attributes, I was also assessing them based on the way they presented themselves during the interview. I picked and choose using these two elements,” she said.
The former pageant queen also noted that Miss Sabah Tourism is tied to Miss Malaysia Tourism, which was awarded the Brand Laureate Country Branding Award.
“That sets us apart from other pageants because we are the only one to receive this acknowledgment, which means that government associations recognize our effort in promoting tourism and culture, and we stay true to our cause,” she explained.
“Moreover, other pageants have different goals and motto. For example, Miss Universe is more into the entertainment line, to produce a TV host, an actress, a model and such. And then, we have Miss World, which focuses more on charity, whereas for us, we emphasize on being tourism ambassadors of our state and country.”
To further illustrate the purpose behind the Miss Sabah Tourism pageant, Weena explained that this is a beauty pageant where girls can learn and understand more about the cultures within Sabah, Malaysia and also internationally.
She said that contestants do not just go out and promote their own culture. They also have to understand other cultures because Malaysia is very rich and diverse in heritage.
“That said, I’m sure that not every girl understands every culture, so this is a gathering where the girls stand a chance to make friends and better understand their friends’ backgrounds,” said Weena.
Should one of the top three Miss Sabah Tourism winners get a placing in Miss Malaysia Tourism, they will represent Malaysia at the international level in the Miss Tourism Queen of the Year World Final.
The 12 finalists will be making their first public appearance at the grand launch of New York Fitness Centre at Plaza 333 this Sunday.
To play their role as socially responsible citizens, the finalists will also work together with the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) KK and Jireh Home for Neglected, Underprivileged and Abused Children.
The grand winner for Miss Sabah Tourism will receive RM3,000 cash, a modeling class cash voucher worth RM3,300 from Amber Chia Academy, one year’s VIP membership card worth RM1,399 from New York Fitness Centre, one unit of Lexpa King’s treadmill worth RM5,500 from Zero Degree and RM1,000 cash voucher from Dave’s Optic.
In addition, there will also be seven subsidiary titles to be won, each with equally attractive prizes.
One of the titles, Miss Popularity is adopted by local restaurant chain Lucy’s Kitchen, where the winner will be chosen through a new concept of online voting.
Lucy’s Kitchen will also launch its latest mobile application for smart phones, which will allow patrons of the restaurant to cast their votes for the Miss Sabah Tourism finalist of their choice.
Gold Sponsors of the event include Stunning Bike, Avangio Hotel and Suria Sabah Shopping Mall, which doubles as the official shopping mall for the pageant. Suria Sabah will also be launching its Fashion Weekend from July 2 to 3, featuring the top 12 finalists as models for the fashion show.
Also present at yesterday’s press conference were Jordan Chan, managing director of Stunning Bike Sdn Bhd; Sally Lee, sales and marketing director of New York Fitness Centre; Noredah Othman, deputy general manager of Sabah Tourism Board; Steven Low, deputy CEO of SG Group; Gordon Seet, general manager of Avangio Hotel; Tan King Hong, advertising, sales and marketing manager of Suria Sabah and Victor Lo, general manager of Everyday Gourmet Sdn Bhd.
The Miss Sabah Tourism 2016 grand final will be held on July 29 at Hakka Hall, Tanjung Lipat. Tickets can be obtained from the organisers at RM500 for a Gold Ticket and RM300 for a Silver Ticket, by calling 016-8280011 for details and reservations.