Dr Nisha Thayananthan is Miss Earth Malaysia 2020

A medical doctor at Putrajaya Hospital is the new Miss Earth Malaysia 2020.

Dr Nisha Thayananthan, 28, was all smiles when a sash emblazoned with the words ‘Miss Earth Malaysia” was draped over her shoulder and a crown placed on her head by last year’s winner Kajel Kaur during the crowning ceremony held at Magica Hall, Quill City Mall, Kuala Lumpur on 6th September 2020.

“I’m so grateful to have this opportunity because this would be a great platform for me to work with and to endorse whatever I have within me, especially to create biodegradable pad to conserve the environment.

“And of course I’m happy because being a doctor and pursuing my dream in pageantry, it has been difficult but since I’m passionate about pageant and everything so it’s kind of fulfilling when you get to do things in life,” she told Citizens Journal Malaysia in an interview.

Dr Nisha will represent Malaysia to compete against over 80 contestants from all across the world for the coveted title of Miss Earth 2021 in the Philippines next year.

Dr Nisha has always been passionate about beauty pageants, and she has taken part in several pageants previously. She competed and won the 1Singai Beauty Pageant 2015 crown, was a finalist in Miss Malaysia Tourism 2015 and last year she made it to the top 6 in Miss World Malaysia 2019.

Being an avid nature-lover, taking care of the environment is a priority for Nisha who is embarking on a project to create biodegradable sanitary pads from plant-based material. She is working along with Pertubuhan Pelindung Khazanah Alam Malaysia (PEKA) to endorse the project for a good cause.

“As you all know in Malaysia this will be the very first time we are introducing biodegradable pads because all the sanitary pads that are readily available can’t be recycled and are non-biodegradable. They do not biodegrade and stay there for at least 800 to 1,000 years which is nearly a millennium and I feel sad because in a way we are contributing to environmental degradation.

“Hence I came out with this idea to create my biodegradable sanitary pad which will completely biodegrade within 15 days. So if you compare 15 days with 800 years or a thousand year, it makes a lot of difference and in a way we help to conserve the environment and provide nurturing environment for future generations,” she said.

Dr Nisha was a frontline doctor at Hospital Putrajaya treating Covid-19 patients when the global pandemic began earlier this year. She has been involved in charitable and humanitarian work and is currently focussed on providing the needy and less fortunate with essentials such as rice, cooking oil and milk at various locations in Kuala Lumpur and Seremban.  

Miss Earth Malaysia national director Nickson Sim said Nisha was selected from a pool of over a hundred hopeful candidates.

“Nisha exhibits the total package of natural beauty, poise, intelligence, environmental awareness and social responsibility which fits the criteria that Miss Earth seeks. She’s willing to work very hard and putting her best foot forward, so we hope to get the Top 15 Miss Earth placement for the country this time as it has never achieved impressive placement since 2001,” he said.

Miss Earth Malaysia 2020 pageant is organised by Double Event Management and Aero Inspires.