MALAYSIA PRESENTS WARRIOR INSPIRED COSTUME TO INTERNATIONAL PAGEANT
80 Countries Vying for the coveted Miss Grand International in Myanmar offering $40,000
5 October 2018, KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s hopeful to the sixth Miss Grand International pageant will be wearing the national costume inspired by the Sarawak emblem. Debra Jeanne Poh, a 23 year old mechanical engineering graduate and a kickboxing certified instructor will be flying to Yangon, Myanmar with Malindo Air the official airline partner for Miss Grand Malaysia and will be pitting against 79 other delegates from all over the world.
The winner of the sixth edition will win $40,000 cash and a year stay in a 6-star luxury condominium in Bangkok, Thailand where the headquarters of Miss Grand International Organization is base.
The third largest pageant in the world will commence from 5 October with preliminary competition on 23 October and the final coronation on 25 October. All delegates will be flying over the major cities in Myanmar including Yangon, Bangan and Kawthaung which includes a competition for the best in national costume.
This year, Malaysia’s entry for the national costume is named Tebengang the Great created and designed by Sarawakian fashion designer Paul Carling. Tebengang is a calling by the local natives for the Rhinoceros Hornbill. The ideation of the national costume is depicted through a vision from the Sarawak state emblem and the headhunter warriors of Sarawak.
The Rhinoceros Hornbill is also a representation of God of war which is strong and mighty, a great significance to Miss Grand International’s motto to stop war and violence.
Various techniques were applied on the national costume, which include traditional embroidery methods to create the motives from cowries’ shells, traditional bead-works and brass bells which represents the rich cultural tradition that is carried by the local natives since the olden days.
Meanwhile, the hibiscus flower on both side of the feet represents the national flower of Malaysia and signifying ‘Malaysia Baharu’ or the new Malaysia through the recent change of political stand in the country. With the shield and spear as equipment to protect the warrior at combat, it is also a significant play of the Tebengang the Great to lead the new Malaysia to greater heights and triumphant.
For daily updates of Debra’s journey at Miss Grand International, follow Miss Grand Malaysia on Facebook and Instagram.