There is still hope for dropped finalists to compete in Miss Malaysia World pageant

After 17 years of the fatwa enactment that states it is ‘haram’ and ‘sinful’ for a Muslim to join a beauty pageant, the controversial fatwa might be tweaked.

This is the hopeful expectation of the pageant organiser Datuk Anna Lim after a lengthy discussion with the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) authorities yesterday.

Anna revealed to Astro Awani that the discussion was about the four Muslim finalists who were dropped from the Miss Malaysia World 2013 pageant.

Anna said she submitted the programme for this year’s Miss World beauty pageant which will take place in Jakarta in September to Jawi director Datuk Che Mat Che Ali, during the discussion.

“I told him that the girls will be properly attired at the Miss World event, as bikinis are not allowed in this year’s pageant in Jakarta.

“I explained to him that for the beach fashion section of the pageant, the girls will be wearing conservative one piece swimsuits and are required to wear a sarong to cover the lower half of their bodies.

“Che Mat then asked me when is the final day to crown the next Miss Malaysia and whether it is too late to make a ‘decision’.

“I told him that the grand finals would be held on Aug 2. He said he would be discussing the matter with his colleagues and will get back to me with an answer on whether the four girls can participate in the pageant,” she explained.

It was reported that Che Mat would be announcing the decision sometime next week.

In June this year, the organisers of the Miss World beauty pageant had announced that the contestants at this year’s pageant will not wear bikinis in the parade in a bid to avoid causing offence in the Muslim-majority Indonesia.

The 137 women taking part in the September contest will swap bikinis for more conservative attire, such as traditional sarongs, for the beach fashion section.

In Malaysia, there is an existing edict by the National Fatwa Council, made on Jan 15, 1996 and gazetted on Feb 8, 1996 under the Administration of Islamic Laws (Federal Territories) Act 1993 that prohibits a Muslim to join, organise, or contribute in any way to a beauty pageant, as it is deemed as ‘haram’.

Recently, four finalists for the Miss Malaysia World beauty pageant – Sara Amelia Bernard, Wafa Johanna De Korte, Miera Sheikh and Kathrina Ridzuan – were dropped from the competition after criticism from Federal Territory mufti Wan Zahidi Wan Teh that their participation was “sinful”.

In 1997, two contestants of the Miss Malaysia Petite contest were fined by the Syariah High Court in Kuala Lumpur. They were charged under Section 9 of the Syariah Criminal Act (Federal Territory) 1997 which carries a maximum RM3,000 fine or two years jail upon conviction.

In Selangor, three other contestants from the same beauty pageant were brought to trial for violating a similar fatwa. They were charged under Sect 2 (C) of the Syariah Crimes Enactment Selangor 1995 that also carries the same penalty.