'RCTI' to hold Miss Indonesia contest
'RCTI' to hold Miss Indonesia contest
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
TV station RCTI will, for the first time, hold a beauty
pageant contest, titled Miss Indonesia. This contest is different
from others held previously in Indonesia, RCTI sales and
marketing director Daniel Hartono said at Boutique Cafe, Plaza
Senayan, South Jakarta, on Jan. 27.
This event will be better than other pageant contests because
it will offer Eastern values, a distinct and realistic career
path for successful entrants, and will be more than just a beauty
show.
Registration has been open since the beginning of January and
will close on Feb. 1. The grand final will take place in Jakarta
on Feb. 19.
Any woman aged from 20 to 25, who speaks English fluently and
has a minimum height of 1.65 meters is welcome to enter this
competition. Miss Indonesia is summed up by the slogan "Brains,
Beauty and Behavior".
Thirty-four contestants will be chosen, representing each
province in Indonesia. So far, only eight or nine provinces from
eastern Indonesia do not yet have a representative.
They will be quarantined in Jakarta for nine days, starting
from Feb. 12 to Feb. 18. They will be taught and trained in
public speaking, body language, etc., by experienced instructors
including Tantowi Yahya, Meutia Hatta and former tourism minister
I Gede Ardhika.
Although there are other, similar contests, Miss Indonesia
will be different, as contestants' vital statistics will not be
featured and there will not be a swimsuit show.
This emanates from a recent agreement to hold a Miss ASEAN
(Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Pageant 2005 in Jakarta.
Daniel Hartono said there would be no swimsuit show because it
was not Asian culture to display scantily clad bodies.
"Just to remind you; the swimsuit event has always been a
problem for Indonesians thinking of competing in Miss Universe,"
said Daniel.
The winner of Miss Indonesia will compete in the Miss ASEAN
Pageant 2005. Nine other countries in Southeast Asia will send
representatives.
The lucky winner of the Miss ASEAN Pageant will become a
Goodwill Ambassador to promote tourism and trading in all ASEAN
countries. She will also work together with UNICEF to promote
education for mothers and children.