Thomas Tan
Twelve finalists of Miss Universe Malaysia 2020 and Miss Universe Malaysia 2019 Shweta Sekhon, the reigning titleholder, made appearance at Carven Ong Couture in Intermark Mall, Kuala Lumpur on August 22, 2020 as part of a high-tea session and Meet & Greet held in conjunction with the display of ‘A Peranakan Indulgence’ national costume designed by Carven Ong.
Carven Ong, a Malaysian homegrown talent and internationally renowned fashion designer, said he felt honoured that the Peranakan Indulgence national costume designed by him became the focus of worldwide attention when Shweta wore the resplendent costume during the live coverage of the Miss Universe 2019 finale held in Atlanta, Georgia, USA last December.
“It was a real challenge that got me making the costume I’ve never made before with its elaborate decoration to be showcased on the international stage, watched by millions of people worldwide,” said Carven Ong, adding that his creation was inspired by the rich heritage of the Peranakan community.
The attention-grabbing dress is now on display at ground floor Intermark Mall, Kuala Lumpur until Sept 2 as part of the mall’s “Sama Sama Freedom” campaign to mark the country’s 63rd Independence Day on Aug 31.
During the high tea session, guests were treated to a mini fashion show with Shweta and the 12 Miss Universe Malaysia 2020 finalists wearing couture pieces from Carven Ong’s “Feathers in Flight” collection, inspired by the freedom of birds in their best setting and surrounded by the beauty of nature. The collection featured evening gowns, beautiful dresses and skirts with embellishment and embroidery.
A total of 18 finalists are vying for the title of Miss Universe Malaysia 2020 at the finals on September 5, 2020 and the competition will be streamed live for the first time with only the finalists and the panel of judges present in line with physical distancing due to concerns with Covid-19.
One of the finalists, 23-year-old wealth planner Ooi Erjun from Selangor is putting her time and effort preparing for the upcoming Miss Universe Malaysia 2020 final.
“I’m spending more time practicing on my speaking skills, catwalk and also ensuring my body is in a good shape,” she said.
The leggy beauty at 175cm (5’ 9”) tall has a lot of strengths and it’s going to be her personality that’s important with which to help her win this competition.
“I believe that as a person who will be representing Malaysia, you’ll need to be passionate, compassionate and humble. I’m a person who has those qualities, always striving to do my best, understanding and listening to others and also encouraging everyone to strive to become a better version of themselves,” she said.
“I’m here today because I believed in myself. I wanted to push myself to become a better person. When I was a child, I was always shy and never want to speak up. And Miss Universe Malaysia gave me the platform to do so. I want to use this platform to encourage young kids to always believe in themselves, listen to their heart and chase their dreams.
“I also wanted to use this platform to advocate about the environment, specifically the ocean. I believe that individual efforts can bring excellence but only with collective efforts can deliver effectively,” she added.
Ooi enjoys spending her time rock climbing and relaxing at the beach and anywhere with nature.
Another finalist, multi-talented 27-year-old Pritha Manivannan from Kuala Lumpur, who is an actress, news anchor and producer, is motivated and excited about pursuing her dreams.
“It has been my dream since I was a child to represent Malaysia in the international stage as Miss Universe Malaysia. And here I am finally taking that step to make my dreams come true,” she said.
The 170cm (5’ 7”) tall is aware of the additional hard work and commitment required of her in preparing for the final.
“I think a lot of my preparation currently involves strength training physically and mentally. When I joined the pageant I told myself that I want to get on the stage fully ready, physically and mentally ready and that’s what I’m working on. Otherwise I’m working on my catwalk as well.
“My greatest strength is my determination to win. I lost 8 kg in 5 months and that wasn’t easy to achieve. It required discipline and hunger to win. I’m glad the fire burning in me kept my determination going,” she added.
In her free time, Pritha loves to watch movies and reading.
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