Pageant renamed Miss Borneo Beautiful

KUCHING: ‘Miss Dayak Sarawak 2009’ has been renamed ‘Miss Borneo Beautiful 2009’ in the hopes of putting a stop to the controversy surrounding it.

This being the case, the pageant would also see some changes in its entry qualifications, as it is now open to all Malaysian women from Sarawak and Sabah.

Organiser Alaric Soh said he was actually on the verge of changing the pageant’s name even before objections about it were highlighted in the media.

“As of Sunday, I had already decided to change the pageant name, well before yesterday’s and today’s news articles,” said Soh yesterday.

He said after the initial launch he had received phone calls from an unknown man and a lady who introduced herself as a secretary of a Dayak non-governmental organisation, objecting to the name of the pageant.

He claimed the man thought the word ‘Dayak’ was inappropriate for a beauty pageant, while the lady wished to know how the pageant was going to be conducted and wanted to meet him.

Soh said he agreed to meet with her on Monday, but she did not show up.

He decided then to respect the man’s views even though the man did not identify himself, and therefore change the pageant’s name.

Soh, who owns Alaric’s Productions Company, said the initial intention to use the word ‘Dayak’ was mooted by some of his Dayak friends.

Continue reading (incl. pic) at: Pageant renamed Miss Borneo Beautiful
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