Crown goes to crowd favourite

(from left) ATV Miss Asia Pageant Malaysia 2014 winners first runner up Jasmine Soo, winner Jacinda Rae Webb, second runner up Michelle Loh and third runner up Leannedrea Anne during the finals recently.

IT was a night of glitz and glamour as the winner of ATV Miss Asia Malaysia 2014 was crowned in the swanky JW Marriott hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

The top 12 finalists took to the stage in stunning evening gowns and chic streetwear as they performed a variety of routines to impress the judges.

In the end, Jacinda Rae Webb shone the brightest and won the crown.

The 21-year-old student and dancer from Selangor, of British and Chinese parentage, will represent Malaysia in the ATV Miss Asia Pageant in Hong Kong.

Webb also won the Miss Crowd Favourite and Miss Body Beautiful subsidiary titles.

Finalist Justina Au Yong performing a belly dancing routine during the finals recently.

Coming in second was 22-year-old print advertising model and marketing executive Jasmine Soo, also from Selangor, who bagged the Miss Catwalk, Miss Beautiful Skin and Miss Elegant subsidiary titles as well.

In third place was 24-year-old assistant marketing manager Michelle Loh, while 23-year-old Selangorian freelance model Leanndrea Anne Paramaraj came in fourth.

Finalist modeling Elken lingerie during the finals.

Loh also took home the Miss Talent and Miss Congeniality subsidiary titles, with Leanndrea bagging the Miss Fitness subsidiary title.

According to Webb, who also speaks Mandarin, bagging the winner’s title came as a complete shock.

“Winning the competition is definitely a surprise as this is my first time entering a beauty pageant. My primary reason for joining the competition was to improve my public speaking skills,” she said.

She said it was good experience as she was able to make friends with the other contestants.

“I will do my best to represent Malaysia in the upcoming ATV Miss Asia Pageant in Hong Kong this November,” she said.

The top three winners respectively received RM30,000, RM20,000 and RM10,000 in cash and other prizes.

The pageant was organised by franchise holder Amelia Productions, whose founder Amelia Liew represented Malaysia in the ATV Miss Asia Pageant in 2011.