Monday February 25, 2013

Penangite Billie Lim is Miss Cheongsam Malaysia 2013

KUCHING: Billie Lim, who just graduated from Perth’s Curtin University with an Accounts and Finance major, is Miss Cheongsam Malaysia 2013.

In a glittering final here on Saturday, Lim, a Penangite, beat 17 other aspiring beauty contestants to become the 23rd recipient of the crown.

“I think I did well in the talent section,” Lim told The Star moments after her win. “I thought my catwalk segment was pretty good — I kept smiling — maybe lah.

“I’ve only taken part in one other beauty pageant in Penang. It was a very small one. This is my first big pageant and my first time in Kuching.”

Judges gave Lim, who also took the title of Miss Personality, high marks in her question and answer session.

Among the top five who were quizzed during the segment, Lim was the most confident, speaking fluid Mandarin and dropping several proverbs into her reply.

Earlier in the talent segment, the finance graduate performed a Chinese folk dance.

Asked by reporters how she would spend her RM5,000 prize, Lim said she would donate a portion to an old folks’ home, “which my mum always brings me to,” and also to treat her family to “good food”.

“Penang people love to eat. Penang has really good food. Here in Kuching I really like your Sarawak laksa.”

On her plans, Lim said she was job hunting, adding she wanted work experience before figuring out if she wanted to pursue further studies.

Asked if she was single, Lim replied coyly: “Umm ... off the record”.

Miss Cheongsam Malaysia this year included 10 finalists from outside Sarawak. Second place went to Tneh Joo Huei, who is also from Penang, and in third place was Cyndi Liew from Serian near here.

Collins Tin from Kuantan, a professional model who has been featured in publications including The Star, won Miss Photogenic.

Miss Friendship went to Charlene Chai, from Limbang and Miss Talent was picked up by local Jessie Lau, who played Chinese drums during her performance.

The best cheongsam title went to Jasmine Kho.

The show kicked off with a joint performance by all the finalists, singing a live rendition of a Chinese New Year song.

This was followed by catwalks by the individual contestants.

Third place winner Liew dedicated her win to her mother, who was in the audience, and for whom she earlier sang a song during her talent segment.

Finalists like Amy Chang from Bintulu, who did not win, described the pageant as a “life experience”, saying that she was “happy to be among the other finalists”.

News

Monday February 25, 2013

Penangite Billie Lim is Miss Cheongsam Malaysia 2013