Miss UniWorld 2022 Niousha Roohbakhsh wearing her crown. — SHAARI CHEMAT/The Star
MISS UniWorld has unveiled its official crown, dubbed “Queen of Kilimanjaro”. It was crafted by jeweller Amee Philips and showcased at a press conference at The Starhill Kuala Lumpur.
The dazzling masterpiece, valued at US$400,000 (RM1.8mil), features diamonds and precious gemstones, including the prized tanzanite.
Amee Philips executive director Richard Philips said that both Amee Philips and Miss UniWorld share a common commitment to celebrating the beauty, strength and empowerment of women.
“By designing and hand-crafting the exclusive crown ‘The Queen of Kilimanjaro,’ we pay homage to the indomitable spirit of women,” he said.
“Through this partnership, we endeavour to inspire women globally, celebrating their inner beauty and empowering them to embrace their dreams with unwavering confidence,” he said.
Miss UniWorld chief executive officer Roslan Rosdi said the exquisite crown set it apart as one of the few international pageants that were organised by a Malaysian licence holder.
“The winner of Miss UniWorld will receive a replica of the crown to keep as a cherished memento, making our pageant a unique event in the global pageantry world.
“I would like to think we are the only pageant in the world to craft a replica for our winner,” he said.
Roslan further said that the pageant would welcome 30 international beauty queens, who will begin arriving in Malaysia from tomorrow.
Reiss in red and Roslan at the press conference. The main event is scheduled for June 11.
“Once they settle in, they will participate in a series of engaging activities leading up to the grand finale on June 11 at JW Marriott Kuala Lumpur,” he said.
He added that the contestants would compete to win cash prizes and gifts with a combined value of approximately US$100,000 (RM461,400).
Roslan said the pageant activities included a talent competition, which is among the highlights of Miss UniWorld 2023.
“We will be hosting the talent part of the pageant in collaboration with KL Tower, which will take place on June 8, where we will be offering tourists and the public a thrilling spectacle,” he said.
Roslan said Miss UniWorld would showcase its dedication to “Beauty with Heart” by organising two charitable events.
“Our commitment to ‘Beauty with Heart’ will be demonstrated through two charity activities, one in collaboration with the National Autism Society at KL Tower and another at Tasputra Perkim.
“We will be making cash donations to support these worthy causes,” he said.
“As the chief executive officer of Miss UniWorld, my primary goal is to raise the prominence of this prestigious event, both locally and internationally,” said Roslan.
“With our passionate team and commitment to excellence, we are poised to elevate Miss UniWorld to new heights, showcasing the incredible talents and accomplishments of our contestants while inspiring positive change in communities around the world,” he added.
Miss UniWorld founder Datuk Reiss Tiara said that she established the Miss UniWorld pageant to create a platform for women from around the world to come together, showcase their talents and amplify their voices.
“Our vision for the Miss Uniworld pageant is to celebrate true womanhood and empower our participants to become role models and advocate for their communities,” she said.
She highlighted that the pageant aimed to spread friendship, love and under-standing across borders, promote networking as well as tourism besides supporting local charities along with global causes.
“It is through these values that we endeavour to create a lasting impact and empower our contestants to make a difference in the world,” she said.
