Perak lass Saroop Roshi is Miss World Malaysia 2023

KOTA KINABALU: Saroop Roshi from Perak has been crowned Miss World Malaysia 2023.

Saroop triumphed in the grand finals held at Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) here and walked away with RM15,000, sponsored products and services, as well as RM25,000 worth of jewellery.

The first and second runner ups are Natalie Ang from Penang and Shu Wen Chai from Sabah, who won RM5,000 and RM2,000 respectively.

Saroop, who was a crowd favourite has been using her social media platform to share her efforts in suicide prevention programmes as well as highlighting the issue of mental health.

When asked why she should be the next Miss World Malaysia 2023, she said: "I should be the next Miss World Malaysia 2023 because I have been doing the leg work for the past four years on an issue which is so crucial to our country but has been overlooked for many years.

"It is time for me to collaborate with the Miss World Malaysia organisation and the (beauty pageant) queens to bring a real, tangible change in our country," she said.

In reply to another question on how she utilises social media, Saroop said: "Social media has revolutionised the world and it is a very powerful tool. I have been using the platform to bring a positive impact to our society.

"I have started my 'beauty with a purpose' which it is not just limited to suicide prevention, but also to teach people how to overcome adversity and become ambassadors of hope.

"Because in life when things go wrong, we can't stop them as they are inevitable, but what we can really have is skill sets (to handle them).

"That is exactly what I have been doing on my social media platform and I believe that is the way I will be continuing as Miss World Malaysia," she said.