THE gala night of The Next Miss Universe Malaysia (TNMUM) 2016 is just under a month away, and the top 14 finalists will have a bit of breathing space away from their training to prepare for it.
Miss Universe Malaysia Organisation (MUMO) national director Carey Ng believes that now is the time for the finalists to do their research on world issues and mentally prepare themselves for the big night.
“It’s really important to get the whole package out of a girl.
“I do not want just a face and a body, because then I could hire a model to be Miss Universe Malaysia. It’s not so easy,” said Ng.
“What I have learned is that carrying the title means that you need to be an ideal, real woman who is supposed to inspire others.
“So you want to find someone who is smart, can carry themselves well, is opinionated, and is passionate about doing something in their life; and that’s not easy to find in a young girl,” she added.
The 14 finalists have spent two weeks at beauty camp, being trained in skills like modelling, catwalk, photography, make-up, grooming, and speaking, and they will be tested before a panel of judges to see how quickly they have learned and adapted.
Ng also believes the woman who will represent the country on the world stage this year needed to have a larger-than-life personality and confidence so that she could really stand out.
“On the international stage, it takes a very special person to stand out consistently against so many competitive girls,” said Ng.
“This year, we are lucky to have more than five girls that really stand out.
“They all have weaknesses in different areas, so we want to look at the things they can improve on, and how quickly they take to grow.”
In the lead-up to the gala night, the finalists need to garner public support for themselves on social media and must never doubt themselves.
“When you are in this position, everyone is going to doubt you and judge you.
“It is a scary place to be if you think about it.”
“But what gives a girl confidence and presence on stage is the ability to believe in herself,” she added.
The public can follow the journey of the top 14 finalists through a series of online episodes that will be aired on the MissUniverse-MsiaOrg channel on YouTube.
The Gala Night of TNMUM 2016 takes place at the Palace of the Golden Horses on Jan 30.
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