Beauty pageant organiser's hands are tied

Miss Malaysia World 2013 organisers have expressed regret that Muslim women won't be able to participate in the beauty pageant as they have to abide to the 1996 fatwa (religious edict).

Meridian Surf Sdn Bhd general manager Eddie Kong said that the company's hands were tied by the fatwa issued 17 years ago banning Muslims from participating in such events.

"We felt very sorry for the Muslim contestants as we believe they all have equal chance to be a winner.

"It is just very regrettable that there is nothing we can do about it because there is the law (fatwa) and we must abide by it," Kong told Malaysiakini.

According to the Federal Territories Islamic Department (Jawi), such a fatwa was gazetted under the Administration of Islamic Law (Federal Territories) Act 1993 in Feb 8, 1996.

The fatwa had ruled that any form of participation with a beauty pageant was "haram" and "sinful for Muslims".

Authorities launch probe

A report by Berita Harian said that the four Muslim contestants who were dropped by pageant organisers after making it into the top 20 finalists were still eager to participate.

Malaysiakini could not independently verify if the four had defied the fatwa. However, Jawi has launched a probe against the four women "insulting Islam".

If found guilty, the quartet - Katrina Ridzuan, 23, Miera Sheikh, 19, Wafa Johanna De Korte, 19 and Sara Amelia Muhamad Bernard (right), 20 - could face a fine and jail time.

The pageant will be held in Indonesia - the most populous Muslim country in the world - in September.

Organisers have decided to drop the bikini contest segment and replaced it with a sarong contest as a mark of respect to the locals.