Govt bans Miss Universe participation

JAKARTA (JP): President Soeharto yesterday banned Indonesian women from participating in Miss Universe pageants and all other beauty contests abroad, State Minister for Women's Affairs Mien Sugandhi announced yesterday.

Although the President did not ban local pageants -- as long as they do not select winners based on appearance and body measurements -- Mien said the President called for their review by women's organizations and the House of Representatives.

The ban on sending Indonesian participation abroad is final. "It is strictly forbidden. It's got to stop. End of discussion," the minister stated.

The contests, she said, run completely counter to Indonesia's culture and values. "That is not our world. That is the Western world. What they do there does not necessarily fit our world in the same way that what we do here does not always fit theirs."

Mien visited the President yesterday amidst the storm over the participation of Alya Rohali, a 20-year-old Jakarta law student, in the Miss Universe contest in Las Vegas last month.

Alya, the first Indonesian to enter the contest since 1984, came back empty handed. In various interviews since her return, however, she has eloquently defended her participation as helping Indonesia become better known abroad. She emphasized the charity work of the organization and the winners.

Her chief sponsor, businesswoman Mooryati Soedibyo, met with Mien last week in an attempt to appease the controversy. After proclaiming the misunderstanding cleared, she provoked Mien and thereby kept the issue alive.

Mooryati, the owner of local cosmetics manufacturer PT Mustika Ratu and chairperson of the Putri Indonesia Foundation, said a 1984 decree by Minister of Education and Culture is vague and does not specifically prohibit beauty pageants or sending Indonesians to such contests abroad.

Benefits

Mooryati, who holds the Indonesian Miss Universe franchise and who spent Rp 700 million to select, groom and send Alya, said in an interview published by Media Indonesia on Sunday that she wanted to send an Indonesian girl to fully participate in Miss Universe and win because of all the positive benefits it would have for the country.

"One day, people's thoughts and vision will open up," she was quoted as saying.

Indonesia has sent representatives to Miss Universe as observers since 1991. Alya was the first to take an active part.

The swimsuit competition, the most controversial part of such contests, ignited the current dispute. A photo printed in some local newspapers of Alya in a swimsuit in Las Vegas instigated demonstrations by a number of organizations.

Mien admitted that the 1984 decree only lists pageants as "positive" or "negative". Contests that go against recognized religions, do not reflect traditional Indonesian values, and select winners based on their physical appearance and measurements are listed as negative.

"Anyone can understand what it (the decree) means," she said.

The President named the pageants he considered positive, including the Abang-None Jakarta (Mr. and Miss Jakarta), the Putri Wawasan Pendidikan (Princess of Education), Putri Campus (Campus Princess) and others that are "more Indonesian", she said. "But even these have to be reviewed."

When asked about swimsuit clad women at swimming competitions, Mien said this was a different case because the participants are judged by their performance, not by their appearance.

Asked about the penalty for women who violate the decree, Mien said the police would deal with it.

Mien said she asked Soeharto about the Miss Universe franchise owned by Mooryati.

"The ban effectively makes it impossible for her (Mooryati) to do anything with the license," she said.

The ban also effectively puts a stop to future visits by Miss Universe, the minister pointed out.

Every Miss Universe since 1991 has come to Indonesia to raise funds for various charities. They include Chelsi Smith of the United States (1995), Sustima Shen of India (1994), Dayanara Torres of Puerto Rico (1993), Michele McLean of Namibia (1992), and Lupita Jones of Mexico (1991). (emb)