The right brain, behavior, and beauty for 1995
The right brain, behavior, and beauty for 1995
By Johannes Simbolon
JAKARTA (JP): Name: Susanty Pryscilla Adresina Manuhutu. Place and date of birth: Jakarta, January 7, 1974. Height/weight: 176/52. Education: School of Architecture of the Indonesian Christian University (UKI). Title: Miss Indonesia 1995. Boyfriend: "No comment!"
Her speech was halting and her eyes glistened with tears. Her sparkling crown nearly fell from her head several times because she was shaking with happiness. Words failed her. Emotions were palpable.
In the end, after catching her breath, she managed to finish her speech, in which she thanked her family, companions, the organizing committee and Indonesia.
"I can hardly describe my feelings. I did not anticipate that I would win," she told reporters who, after her speech, mercilessly and excitedly bombarded her with any question that popped into their heads.
One reporter asked if she would marry a Westerner in the future. Another one asked why she does not like dangdut music and if she regretted being born female. The others asked about her present boyfriend, her dreams, her plans, her family, her hobbies, her phone number, her measurements, why she doesn't want to be a movie star, if she wants to be in the Miss Universe Contest, and why she looks like Indonesian film star Meriem Bellina.
To the 21-year-old Santy, it was a really great moment. From being nobody the day before, she was suddenly someone who will be known all over the country, something many Indonesian girls dream about every night.
"I have never dreamt about this," she said, adding that she joined the contest on the urging of her friends and parents.
In front of hundreds of guests in the Puri Agung Hall at the Sahid Jaya Hotel on April 11, a 11-member jury, including businessman Setiawan Djodi, designer Ghea Sukarya, scientist Pratiwi Sudharmono, novelist La Rose and beautician Kusuma Dewi, voted her the best of 30 girls from each province. She represented Maluku Province.
The first runner-up was Rosa Rai from Jakarta. She is a 20- year-old student at the School of Medicine at the University of Indonesia. The second runner-up was Jambi's Dian Cahyani, 21, a computer science student.
Brightest
Winning the contest means getting the highest score in the "brain, behavior and beauty" categories.
"Brains are on the top, beauty on the bottom. The same criteria is applied at the Miss Universe contest," explained Djodi.
That evening the audience witnessed the truth of Jodi's saying. There was no swimsuit parade, as in the Miss Universe Contest where the girls exhibit their physical beauty to the extreme. Instead, the focus was on their eloquence in delivering a speech and answering questions.
To the amazement of the audience, the girls were different from the urban, headstrong girls they often see on local TV quizes who know nothing but American pop culture.
The girls no doubt have good hearts. The audience was touched, for example, when Yelina Ningsih Aronggear, a student representing Irian Jaya province, honestly and a bit shyly said it was the first time she had rode an elevator. Deasy Mulyani Jachnis, who works in the flour industry in West Sumatra, said her only dream was to meet Mbak Tutut, the popular name for Mrs. Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, eldest daughter of President Soeharto, who owns the industry that employs her.
They were also gifted, broad-minded, well-informed even about issues they don't study at school. Maria Fransisca, a high school student representing North Sumatra, for example, could clearly explain the meaning of the catchphrase "global village". Another contestant, Sang Ayu Ketut Elizabeth Mantjika, philosophized when she was asked how to make someone happy. "Be happy of yourself, then you'll be happy," she quickly answered in English.
No one doubts that Santy was the brightest of all the girls. She is the youngest daughter of an Ambonese diplomat and speaks French, English and Dutch fluently. The other finalists spoke only one foreign language, mainly English.
She lived in Yugoslavia, Senegal and Ethiopia for over a dozen years, which gave her the opportunity to learn French.
The audience sensed her brightness that evening when she fluently and cleverly answered questions from the multilingual master of ceremonies, Tantowi Yahya, in French.
As for her behavior, the jury scrutinized all finalists during a 10 day quarantine in Jakarta.
How about her beauty?
"What do you mean? Look at her. She is also beautiful," Djodi said.
Santy can now enjoy all the rewards attached to her victory, including Rp 1.5 million in cash, a TV set, a flight to Taipei and a bicycle. She will also visit several places here and abroad to promote Indonesian tourism and charity programs.
But that's all. In other countries girls like her can look forward to something bigger -- Miss Universe. The Indonesian government has yet to allow Indonesian girls to join the contest, which it sees as "against the national culture", even though a visit by Miss Universe to Indonesia always generates huge interest.
"There is not yet any indication that the government is going to change the policy," said Mooryati Soedibyo, chairperson of the Puteri Indonesia Foundation, which organized the contest.
Djodi, for one, takes issue with the government's policy.
"I can have my personal opinion, right? I am for our participation in the contest. If she goes to the contest, we have big chance to win," he said, full of conviction.