<TABLE id=msgUN border=0 cellSpacing=3 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD id=msgUNsubj vAlign=top>Coffeeshop Chit Chat - Parliament talks about Beauty Pageants</TD><TD id=msgunetc noWrap align=right>
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</NOBR> </TD><TD class=msgDate width="30%" noWrap align=right>4:20 am </TD></TR><TR class=msghead><TD class=msgT height=20 width="1%" noWrap align=right>To: </TD><TD class=msgTname width="68%" noWrap>ALL <NOBR></NOBR></TD><TD class=msgNum noWrap align=right>(1 of 8) </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgleft rowSpan=4 width="1%"></TD><TD class=wintiny noWrap align=right>23063.1 </TD></TR><TR><TD height=8></TD></TR><TR><TD class=msgtxt><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD>Oct 21, 2009
WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FROM MONDAY'S PARLIAMENT SITTING
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : start --></TD></TR><TR><TD>Of Beauty Queens...
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : end --></TD></TR><TR><TD>Sponsors keep pageants in line; Govt won't step in </TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- Author --></TD></TR><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Jeremy Au Yong
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Miss Low (centre) being congratulated by first runner-up Claire Lee (left) and second runner-up Pilar Arlando after winning the Miss Singapore World crown in July. Miss Low later stepped down after news of a criminal conviction came to light. -- PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->WHEN it comes to global opinion, beauty is more than skin deep.
Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang made the point yesterday when he stressed that the world does not see Singapore through its beauty pageant winners.
'The Government, of course, cares about Singapore's branding. And events where there is international exposure can add to or subtract from this branding,' he said. 'But how the world perceives us is not determined by a beauty contest representative.'
He added: 'International opinion is shaped over time, as a result of events of significance, by what we do as a country.'
These remarks were the first time the Government has commented on the recent uproar surrounding this year's Miss Singapore World winner Ris Low, who has since stepped down.
They were made in Mr Lim's written reply to a question Mr Baey Yam Keng (Tanjong Pagar GRC) had submitted for Monday's Parliament sitting, which, however, did not have time to debate it.
Mr Baey had asked whether there was a need for greater supervision and regulation of beauty pageants to protect Singapore's brand name.
The quality of Singapore's beauty pageant winners came under heavy scrutiny recently after a scandal hit the Miss Singapore World pageant.
It was sparked by one explosive, made-up word: 'boomz'.
Miss Low, 19, a diploma student, had used the term to describe her fashion sense in an interview with Web television portal, The Straits Times RazorTV, together with a litany of other mispronounced words.
The video made waves on the Internet and the attention led to the discovery that she had been convicted of credit card fraud. Miss Low subsequently gave up her crown, but not before her story sparked discussions nationwide on her bipolar disorder, the standard of English, and the quality of Singapore's pageant representatives.
Yesterday, Mr Lim made it clear that the Government had no intention of regulating pageants. These events, he said, were already kept in line by the need to get sponsors to fund them. A pageant that is badly run or whose prestige is affected will face difficulties securing sponsorship, he added.
Mr Lim noted that public criticism of the Merlion dress worn by the winner of the Miss Singapore Universe 2008 caused some sponsors to withdraw. And the same thing happened with this year's Miss Singapore World pageant after the Ris Low debacle.
'With the market discipline imposed by sponsors, there is no need for the Government to regulate such pageants,' he said.
[email protected]
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
WRITTEN ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS FROM MONDAY'S PARLIAMENT SITTING
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : start --></TD></TR><TR><TD>Of Beauty Queens...
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- headline one : end --></TD></TR><TR><TD>Sponsors keep pageants in line; Govt won't step in </TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- Author --></TD></TR><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Jeremy Au Yong
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- show image if available --></TD></TR><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
Miss Low (centre) being congratulated by first runner-up Claire Lee (left) and second runner-up Pilar Arlando after winning the Miss Singapore World crown in July. Miss Low later stepped down after news of a criminal conviction came to light. -- PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->WHEN it comes to global opinion, beauty is more than skin deep.
Trade and Industry Minister Lim Hng Kiang made the point yesterday when he stressed that the world does not see Singapore through its beauty pageant winners.
'The Government, of course, cares about Singapore's branding. And events where there is international exposure can add to or subtract from this branding,' he said. 'But how the world perceives us is not determined by a beauty contest representative.'
He added: 'International opinion is shaped over time, as a result of events of significance, by what we do as a country.'
These remarks were the first time the Government has commented on the recent uproar surrounding this year's Miss Singapore World winner Ris Low, who has since stepped down.
They were made in Mr Lim's written reply to a question Mr Baey Yam Keng (Tanjong Pagar GRC) had submitted for Monday's Parliament sitting, which, however, did not have time to debate it.
Mr Baey had asked whether there was a need for greater supervision and regulation of beauty pageants to protect Singapore's brand name.
The quality of Singapore's beauty pageant winners came under heavy scrutiny recently after a scandal hit the Miss Singapore World pageant.
It was sparked by one explosive, made-up word: 'boomz'.
Miss Low, 19, a diploma student, had used the term to describe her fashion sense in an interview with Web television portal, The Straits Times RazorTV, together with a litany of other mispronounced words.
The video made waves on the Internet and the attention led to the discovery that she had been convicted of credit card fraud. Miss Low subsequently gave up her crown, but not before her story sparked discussions nationwide on her bipolar disorder, the standard of English, and the quality of Singapore's pageant representatives.
Yesterday, Mr Lim made it clear that the Government had no intention of regulating pageants. These events, he said, were already kept in line by the need to get sponsors to fund them. A pageant that is badly run or whose prestige is affected will face difficulties securing sponsorship, he added.
Mr Lim noted that public criticism of the Merlion dress worn by the winner of the Miss Singapore Universe 2008 caused some sponsors to withdraw. And the same thing happened with this year's Miss Singapore World pageant after the Ris Low debacle.
'With the market discipline imposed by sponsors, there is no need for the Government to regulate such pageants,' he said.
[email protected]
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