The Miss Universe Malaysia Organization (MUMO) announced the Top 14 finalists of the Next Miss Universe Malaysia 2016 at the Palace of the Golden Horses today following a search over the span of six months.
The Top 14 finalists to vie for the crown of Miss Universe Malaysia 2016 are (in alphabetical order): Alicia Tan, Ariessa Lam, Cindy Ng, Dhivya Dhyana, Hazelin Ng, Jennifer Ling, Kiran Jassal, Lina Soong, Loveena Ruben, Nisha Sema, Rema Rao, Chow Shiat Teen, Swarna Naidu and Yeoh Yen Nee.
During beauty camp, the girls will undergo a series of activities where they will be groomed and tested in various areas including catwalk, styling, public speaking, acting, fitness and photo shoots. For 2016, the format has been updated to reach to a greater online audience where the entire process will be captured and broadcasted on YouTube in a series of 31 webisodes.
Fans can once again vote for their favourites for 2016 using the The Next Miss Universe Malaysia (TNMUM) mobile application available for free from the iTunes App Store and Google PlayStore.
This year, MUMO will be supporting the Malaysia AIDS Foundation (MAF). Through the partnership, MUMO aims to raise funds and more significantly, create awareness on the prevention of HIV/AIDS prevention amongst young women. A portion of the proceeds raised from the Miss Universe Malaysia events will be channelled to MAF’s Treatment, Care and Support Programme which seeks to improve access to HIV healthcare, support and welfare services for Malaysia’s underserved communities who are affected by HIV and AIDS, particularly women and children. BEYOND ENTITY SDN BHD (808537-D)
The crowning of Miss Universe Malaysia 2016 will take place at the Palace of the Golden Horses Hotel at the end of January 2016. The crowned winner will have an opportunity of a lifetime to travel abroad representing Malaysia at the Miss Universe pageant to be held in the later part of 2016. Additionally, she will also receive a cash prize of RM50,000 and sponsored prizes worth over RM200,000.
Alicia Tan (25) Perak
Alicia is a graduate in Accounting, Finance & Management. She comes from a large family with four older siblings. Passionate about acting, modelling and travelling, she also loves music and can play the piano. Currently, she makes videos on YouTube and she dreams of becoming a TV actress someday.
Ariessa Lam (26) Perak
Ariessa is a make-up artist by day and DJ by night. She has had some pageant experiences and enjoys the behind-the-scenes pageant coordination. Describing herself as adventurous, talkative and funny, Ariessa is also a gym enthusiast and hopes to run her own beauty center.
Cindy Ng (26) Kuala Lumpur
Born and raised in Singapore, Cindy moved back to Malaysia during her childhood. Holding a degree in hospitality management, she is very active in voluntary work. In her free time, she enjoys Jiu-jitsu, marathons, hiking, swimming, yoga, equestrian and golf. Her dream is to become a social entrepreneur to enhance the welfare of the less fortunate in the country.
Dhivya Dhyana (25) Kuala Lumpur
Born in New Zealand and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Dhivya dreamt of becoming Miss Universe Malaysia since the age of five. She is trained in Classical Indian Dance (Bharatnatyam), Bollywood, hip hop & fusion, Indian vocals (Sangeetham) and playing the piano. A dedicated volunteer and experienced pageant contestant, she is currently in the fourth year of her medical degree.
Hazelin Ng (22) Sarawak
Marketing graduate Hazelin is 176cm tall and hails from Kuching. She runs her own online boutique, and is a dog lover who enjoys charity work. She hopes to own a successful multi-million business someday to fulfil her dream of becoming a social entrepreneur.
Jennifer Ling (23) Kuala Lumpur
Jennifer works in business development for an ID construction company. She has done catwalk training under Amber Chia, dabbled in some modelling, and participated in a beauty pageant. She likes travelling, cooking, and is a gym enthusiast.
Kiran Jassal (20) Selangor
174cm-tall Kiran grew up in Subang Jaya and is the youngest in a family of four. She was trained in classical harmonium for nine years from the age of seven. Kiran became active in public speaking competitions to overcome her stage fright. A straight 'A's student throughout her schooling years, she dreams of running her own orthodontic practice.
Lina Soong (25) Negeri Sembilan
A graduate in Management and Multimedia, Lina currently works in Marketing. She can play the gu zheng and tennis. She enjoys performing original and cover songs on YouTube and dreams of becoming a TV host. She would like to become an inspiration to all women to show them that Miss Universe is more than just a pretty face.
Loveena Ruben (18) Kuala Lumpur
A student currently completing her foundation in Media Studies, Loveena loves to write and has participated in a writing community organized by a local English-language Daily. She dreams of traveling the world as a writer cum photographer and become the host of her own travel show.
Nisha Sema (22) Penang
Born of Indian-Japanese descent, Nisha lived in Penang for four years before moving to the Gunma prefecture in Japan for 14 years. A degree-holder in Mass Communications and Public Relations, Nisha can play musical instruments like the trumpet, cornet and timpani. Her dream job is to become a zoo keeper.
Rema Rao (27) Selangor
Rema spent her growing years in Borneo and moved around a lot due to her father's job. A law graduate, she currently enjoys her work in compliance at PayPal. She likes singing, acting in theatre plays, playing the piano, and has taught herself to play the guitar and ukulele. Rema is a vegetarian for the past eight years.
Shiat Teen (25) Selangor
Born and raised in Petaling Jaya, Shiat Teen holds a degree in Marketing & International Trade, and is currently a flight attendant. An avid sportsperson in school, she loves animals, Disney cartoons and fashion. She also makes and collects miniature houses.
Swarna Naidu (18) Penang
Born in Mumbai, Swarna moved between India and Penang in her childhood and recently completed her diploma in hotel management. She is trained in Classical Indian Dance (Bharatnatyam), ballet, hip hop, jazz, classical Indian vocals (Sangeetham), violin and pop vocals. She is also active in sports, and her dream is to become an accomplished actress or recording artiste.
Yen Nee (25) Penang
Born and raised in Bukit Mertajam, Yen Nee is trained as a physiotherapist. Describing herself as a go-getter and a determined individual, she is also loud and bubbly. She enjoys playing the piano and has a special talent of playing music by ear. Her dream is to open her own cafe to work as a barista and create latte art.