With the recent finale for Miss Astro Chinese International Pageant, We’d like to congratulate everyone on the show- Miss Jovane who was crowned champion, 1st runner up Jolene who put up a good fight despite of language barrier, and 2nd runner up Khai Sin who looked gorgeous on stage. Also, not to forget about the rest of the contestants who made it to the podium.
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As the event comes to a close, we would like to look back on what the Miss Astro Chinese International Pageant has done over the pass few years, and why this pageant is more than just another beauty contest.
1. Prioritizing education
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The finalists for this year’s Miss Astro Chinese International Pageant were all successful women with some great backgrounds in education! And that’s no surprise either, with women now being given access to education and jobs being opened up to them, it’s only a matter of time before we reach a truly equal society of men and women, both capable of wonderful things! Its great that Astro is among the few bodies who are leading the way in Malaysia.
2. Women empowerment
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Every year, Astro places a theme on their Miss Astro Chinese International Pageant events and this year is no different, only the theme this year is #MyGirlPower. Talk about women empowerment! In a time where we have controversial events happening around us left and right, it won’t be too far fetched for some women to feel as though they’re not good enough. Thus, it’s refreshing to see that there are such initiatives where time and effort were consciously made to empower women of not only the present, but future generations as well by letting them know that not only are they are beautiful, but they can be strong and powerful as well!
3. Foster critical thinking
While some of us might think that beauty pageants are all about beauty and smiling, you’ll be surprised to know that Astro actually encourages critical thinking by asking some really interesting questions! This not only asks the contestants to be critical about themselves, but also think of ways to better their society!
4. International exposure
Here’s a fun fact: what do you expect to get when you win a competition? Most of us would say just prize money right? Hey, nothing wrong with that. It’s just that Astro takes it one step further and included an opportunity for the crowned winner of MACIP2018 a spot to compete in the upcoming Miss Chinese International Pageant, which is an international annual event that is well known in the Chinese community around the world that is based in Hong Kong. Some of the past contestants even found a career as actresses in Hong Kong!
5. Almost 30 years of progress
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The Malaysian Chinese International Pageant has been around for nearly 30 years, being founded in 1988. This pageant has produced many artists that are both successful and well known internationally, Artists such as Michelle Reis, Anita Yuen, Christy Chung and Linda Chung. With almost 30 years under their belt, I wonder how much they have influenced the nation in a positive light? One thing for sure though, if they keep doing what they’re doing and pushing for equality, I’m sure they’ll be around for a long, long time.
Header image source from here.
