Nasi lemak to kampung house, what’s next for Miss Universe Malaysia?
PETALING JAYA: The 69th Miss Universe pageant wrapped up earlier this week, with Malaysia’s contestant missing out from being in the top 21 out of 74 countries.
This year’s Miss Universe Malaysia, Francisca Luhong James from Kuching, did however make waves on social media for her national costume, which involved an outfit change inside a 45kg kampung house – all on live television.
Yasmin Yusuff, who was Miss Universe Malaysia in 1978, noted that Francisca remained at the back of the catwalk throughout her presentation, due to difficulties in bringing the house down the stage.
The former national pageant queen explained that all contestants were required to get ready by themselves backstage, save for a few who did not speak English and needed interpreters.
“There are makeup artists provided by Miss Universe, but other than that you’re on your own, so the national costume should be something practical, something you can quickly put on and move well in,” she told FMT.
Yasmin, who came in third place for the National Costume category by wearing a baju Perak in her year, recalled being trained to put on her sampin, sashes and headdress all on her own.
She also remembered arriving at the pageant with various batik kaftans, kebayas and songkets in her wardrobe, but returning with almost none after contestants from other countries took them home for themselves.
“Every time I wore something, one of the girls would tell me ‘Malaysia, I want (that)’. They all even came to my room. It was a piece of our country and people wanted it.
“That was very special to me. I always say you must take your heritage with you and embody your culture.”
Four decades on, she notes that she has been the last queen to bring home any such award from the international competition. The only other time the country came close to winning was in 2019 after Shweta Sekhon was incorrectly announced as the winner for national costume.
Yesterday, May 20, also marked Yasmin’s 43rd anniversary of being crowned Miss Universe Malaysia.
While she acknowledged that it was difficult for the Miss Universe Malaysia Organisation to predict what other countries would wear, Yasmin pointed out that Malaysian traditional costumes were capable of leaving an impression on stage.
“There seems to be this idea that if we wear something cultural, we won’t make an impact. I disagree with that,” she said. “Maybe we’re trying too hard.”
Yasmin said there should be more input from previous Miss Universe Malaysia winners, who would be able to offer advice to future contestants.
“I don’t want us to lose sight of our greatest value, which is our multicultural heritage. We must take advantage of it.”
Cultural heritage expert Elizabeth Cardosa pointed out that Malaysia had a wealth of tradition, costumes, cultural identities and folklore to draw inspiration from.
Cardosa said it was important to learn to capture the essence of the country’s heritage and present it creatively in a costume for the world to understand.
She said the elaborate Peranakan-themed costume in 2019, with its trays of nyonya kuih attached to it, had details that only Malaysians themselves could pinpoint.
Malaysia’s national costumes in recent years, she said, leaned more on the literal side. This included the Twin Towers jumpsuit for Miss Universe 2016, and the nasi lemak gown the year after that.
“That’s not all Malaysia is. We are far more complex culturally and we have so many cultural traditions that we don’t have to limit ourselves,” she said.
“Each state has its own kind of woven fabric and designs, for example.”
Noting that Francisca was of Dayak descent, she said it would have been interesting to see something more representative of the pageant queen’s personal cultural identity.
“Perhaps this is a good opportunity for us to work more extensively with people who aren’t your typical go-to’s in the local fashion industry. Maybe sometimes, simplicity is as good as glamour,” she said. - FMT
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