It is a situation never seen before and it is the other way around!. We usually see girls vying the most coveted crown in a beauty pageant but now, it seems that beauty pageants are vying to get the girls to compete in their respective pageants.
Since early of this year, many beauty pageants have been carefully drafted by national directors and businesses or organizations. The results are there to see. Started with Miss Global International Malaysia 2011 doing their audition rounds pretty early around the country to avoid clashing head on with other contests.
Miss World Malaysia 2011 which is among the big two in the country have gone one step bigger promoting their event here by inviting the real Miss World winner, Alexandria Mills, Miss World 2010 from the USA come to Malaysia, along with Julia Morley and their entourage, attending some charity events and the launching of Miss World Malaysia 2011 contest which offering RM200,000 in cash which is the biggest cash prize in Malaysian pageants history. MWM 2011 has also embarking on a marketing campaign by advertising their event in the Star newspaper in late January and if one refer to its website, their auditions will start in end of April and ends in early June which covers several key locations like Kuala Lumpur, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and Penang.
Yesterday was really an exciting day as Miss Universe Malaysia, touted the most glamorous and number one pageant in Malaysia announcing their plan of choosing the Miss Universe Malaysia 2012 winner campaign. There was a press release blast to some key people in the industry and later being spread through social media network like facebook. Starting their audition round in Sunway before heading to Kuching in late March and then to Melaka in early April. According to its media release draft, there are many other locations yet to be announce.
I believe there will be audition in Sabah as this state traditionally has been very strong in Miss Malaysia Universe contest and it is still holding the record by having the most Miss Malaysia Universe winners in history and the most recent one was Joannabelle Ng, who was chosen the winner in 2009. But it is still to be seen should the audition would be held in Penang as the organiser struggled to get the island girls to audition last year here. My advice, MUMO should make their stop in Ipoh too and please do not discount Johor girls. Perak and Johor might surprise us all.
The more the merrier. That is what happening now as in between these two heavy weights, there are several other big league beauty pageants looking for contestants too like Miss Earth Malaysia 2011, Miss Malaysia Model 2011, Miss Malaysia International 2011, Miss Globe International Malaysia 2011, Miss International Global Malaysia 2011 and many others. Joining the fray is an organizer across the causeway looking for a girl who is willing to represent Malaysia in the highly competitive Miss Intercontinental 2011 which to be held either in China or Malta in June.
Most national directors in Malaysia are now scrambling to get everything right and choose their winners as soon as possible as most international pageants are to be held between June and December which to them, is really a short span of time.
I was contacted by a beauty pageant extraordinaire this morning that prompted me to write this article. "wah!, Malaysia is so flush with cash!" told mr X. According to him and several pageant experts, offering such a huge cash money may have its negative impact and the organizers might found themselves swimming along many greedy girls.
Some national directors have already complaint to me that many of their contestants withdrawing from their contests due to various personal reasons. My advice, please do not be surprised or be shocked if you see those who withdraw, appear in other big league beauty or any grand slam pageants. This happens all the time even way back in 1989 where a contestant in a supermodel contest in Malaysia opted out citing family reason only to be seen appeared in a prestigious miss contest right the day after!.
From my own experience as an observer at many beauty pageants auditions before, allow me to say the pool of girls is rather small and I see many exactly the same faces appeared at every auditions. With so many contests to chose from and a huge prize money at stake, I am sure organizers know what is the best for them and I say GOOD LUCK!.