Disqualified beauties warned against attending ‘finals’, says pageant organiser

 

(The Malay Mail) - Jawi director Datuk Che Mat Che Ali was quoted by Bernama on Saturday as saying the religious authority had mounted enforcement operations around the venue of the finals.

One of the four Muslim beauty contestants recently disqualified from the Miss Malaysia World was warned not to attend the finals in Kuala Lumpur last Friday.

Insiders revealed Sara Amelia Bernard was cautioned by the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) that she would be “arrested on sight” if she attended the event.

“I don’t want to talk much about it except that they (Jawi) told me not to go for the event,” she said.

Sara Amelia was among four contestants dropped from the beauty pageant. The others were Wafa Johanna de Kote, Miera Sheikh and Kathrina Ridzuan.

Wafa Johanna said she was also “advised” not to go for the finals.

“We got the same warnings from the religious institute as it is not right for us to be there even though we’re there to show support,” she said.

Miera, however, was unaware of such a warning.

“I didn’t even know we were not supposed to go for the event. I received the invite (for the finals) but declined due to a prior engagement in Johor,” she said.

Efforts to contact Kathrina were not successful.

Official pageant licensee and Miss Malaysia World organiser Datuk Anna Lim was informed by the girls they would not be attending the finals as to not “create any further problems”.

Jawi director Datuk Che Mat Che Ali was quoted by Bernama on Saturday as saying the religious authority had mounted enforcement operations around the venue of the finals.

If they competed in the event, the four would be fined not more than RM3,000 each or jailed not more than two years or both, if convicted.