World Class Beauty Queens Magazine would like to welcome amazing Queen Tham Choi Kuen Classic Malaysia International Universal 2019.
Full name: Tham Choi Kuen
Title/Year: Classic Malaysia International Universal 2019
Age: 52
Zodiac sign: The Scorpion
Hobbies: Reading, treadmill workouts, watching movie
Platform: Elevating Underprivileged Women Through Art and Education, Be B.R.A.V.E and Stop Bully, Building Respect and value for Everyone
Years competed: 2019
Countries visited: China, Switzerland, Taiwan, Korea, Turkey, Singapore, Indonesia
Likes: spending time with family and friend, going to the cinema, visiting new places
Dislikes: bullying, disrespect women, discrimination, office politics
Status: Married
World Class Beauty Queens Magazine: Please tell us about yourself. My name is Tham Choi Kuen. I am 52 years old. I live in Seremban with my husband and three children. I am a Chief Financial Officer and enjoy travelling. My passion for charity has given me the opportunity to be the volunteer at the Women's Aid Organisation ("WAO"). With this organisation, I was able to raise a public awareness on women's rights, support women and children who experience abuse.
World Class Beauty Queens: What does women Empowerment means to you?
Women empowerment means women have self-worth, right to determine their choices, right to have power to take control of their own life, to live the life they wanted, not just follow husband or partner instruction blindly and also ability to inspire and influence the society to do well upon others.
World Class Beauty Queens: Tell us about your pageant history.
This pageant was started in year 2014 for senior and married women to sustain and continuously build their confidence and express their thoughts, beauty, talent and inner strength with a glamorous touch. Amongst its achievements are the successful staging of Mrs. Malaysia World 2014, 2015 and 2016; Mrs. Malaysia Chinatown International 2014 and 2016, where Chinese trends and traditions were incorporated; Mrs. Malaysia Asia International 2015 and 2016; and the Mrs. Asia International World Grand Finals 2015 and 2016 and Mrs. International Global 2018 World Final, where Malaysia played host to pageant winners from several countries in Asia, including Singapore, Philippines, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Japan, India and Sr Lanka, to name a few in our beautiful country Malaysia. This year, It will host the World Grand Final of Mrs. International Global 2019 at Encore Melaka, Malaysia on 28 July 2019, to bring Malaysia to the eyes of the world. It has tremendous years of organising beauty pageants combined with experiences and achievements.
World Class Beauty Queens: What inspired you to do your first pageant?
I am a career woman always busy at work. I never thought of participating in any pageantary until one day I realised that my whole life is just working and even though I had fulfilled my ambition to be a Chief Financial Officer, but I have yet to inspire other women about my achievement in my career and also to be a role model in the society. Women should be recognised by their capability to integrate and contribute to society. So I started to look for a good pageant organisation which I can use the titleholder to promote my program in a bigger way. The media and public are drawn to those people holding titles or have the status of celebrity. Finally, I found the good pageant organisation which is Mrs. International Global ("MIG") and registered myself as a contestant.
World Class Beauty Queens: Why did you choose to compete for your current title?
I chose to compete for my current title because I found an interaction between the vision of winners of similar title and my own. I look back the previous year's winners, they have done amazing things with their titles. They are "super women" carrying many tasks together being wives, mothers, career women, homemakers but still holding their families together. Me also the same. We were empowered like men, we should take on an important role in the society. I wish I could motivate and inspire other women to become a leader in the society and also educate our children to respect women.
World Class Beauty Queens: To those unfamiliar with your pageant system please tell us what is it about?
The pageant system of MIG is "Be B.R.A.V.E and Stop Bully, Building Respect and value for Everyone". Women should be recognised by their beauty and ability to integrate and contribute to society. Contributing to society can come in many forms, but MIG groom ladies to build respect for everyone, regardless of different values, which leads to their motto being "Be B.R.A.V.E." which is telling the delegates to be brave and show the world what you are truly made of. This system allows women to brand their own profile, allowing them to embark on a bigger journey. This system not just advocates for the equal rights and recognition of women, but also advocate against internal harassment and bullying between women and all adults alike.
World Class Beauty Queens: What are you being judged on during the competition?
I was being judged on my poise, overall appearance, personality, intelligence, talent, confidence, my passion for community service and lastly who I am as a person during the competition.
World Class Beauty Queens: Tell us about your experience during the competition.
There are many things I experienced during the competition not just about improving grooming and self- confidence, but also improving communication skills, interviews and poise. Pageantry is a doorway for me to be on stage. Besides this, I also built a friendship with other contestants, they have become my friends and we consider ourselves as a sisterhood, we support and encourage each other. Competition also gives me the opportunity to present my best self to inspire others through my charitable acts and expressing my strong personalities. This competition also opens a door to opportunity to network with charitable organisation, work with them and help them to spread the awareness of treating women with respect and dignity like what I volunteer my services in WAO. I want to make a difference with my crown and sash to become a new me, a role model in a community. Pageantry has changed who I am and my vision. The entire competition, in fact, is a transformation process, which transformed me into the best version of myself.
World Class Beauty Queens: Tell us about your platform or what cause do you volunteer for.
My platform is Elevating Underprivileged Women Through Art and Education. I joined WAO as a volunteer. It is a Malaysian non governmental organisation which over 35 years provides free shelter, counselling, case management support and crisis support to women and children who experience abuse by their husband or partners. I help the survivors of domestic violence by teaching them the skills in an administrative role. By doing this, I am not just inspiring women, but also helping them by teaching them the skills to work in society and earn income to support their families. In the long run, they will become more independent and braver to embrace all life challenges.
World Class Beauty Queens: What appearances have you done with your title?
I have yet to make any public appearance after winning the title, except appeared on video shooting organised by MIG at the Pines Hotel with aims to promote the Encore Melaka and also the upcoming Mrs. International Global World Grand Final 2019 to be held at Encore Melaka.
World Class Beauty Queens: What are some of your achievements?
I work closely with WAO to schedule the class to teach the survivors the skills in an administrative role and also to bring public awareness of women's rights especially right against violence against women. I also inspired other mothers who are also my friends to take part in the pageant, live life to the fullest.
World Class Beauty Queens: What is your on stage strategy to win the judges over?
When on stage, I will be myself and smile huge the entire time, confidently walking and standing on stage, practice interview questions and answer them slowly without saying "um", practice catwalk a lot, make it perfect, no hair fixing, keep the pose 100% of the time, keep up to date with current affairs and ensure every second I must be ON.
World Class Beauty Queens: What makes you stand out from all those other beautiful girls?
My attitude, personality, confidence and intelligent which will make me stand out from all those other contestants.
World Class Beauty Queens: Tell us about the moment your name was called out as the winner.
When my name was called out, I was so happy and excited. All my thinking was I won the champion and they are going to put a crown on my head and sash on my body, it was an amazing moment, like dreaming.
World Class Beauty Queens: What does it mean to you to be a Beauty Queen?
A beauty Queen means huge responsibility to me that I am given an opportunity to impact others to change the lives of others for the better. It also means a voice and a force to me.
World Class Beauty Queens: How did competing in pageants helped your life?
It helps me form a special bond with other contestants, they become my close friends. I learned the life skills which made me more confident, especially speaking in the public. Besides life skills, I also learned about self-love, empowerment and the importance of supporting other women. The pageant also gives me a greater opportunity to do community service and promote their platforms.
World Class Beauty Queens: How did pageants helped your self esteem and body image?
Through the whole journey of my pageant, I learned to express myself, pose perfectly, to show the best of myself, stand out confidently on the stage to showcase my inner and outer beauty, I feel myself the best.
World Class Beauty Queens: You are an inspiration to all the girls out there. How does it feel?
I feel great, I feel I am the queen of the world.
World Class Beauty Queens: What are your tips for learning better pageant walk?
To walk with confidence and keep practicing with natural and relaxing feel.
World Class Beauty Queens: What are your tips for choosing right pageant dress?
My tips for choosing right pageant dress are as follows:
1. Budget. Fix the budget before choosing the dress.
2. Style research. Look for the unique dress which match my ideal signature style. Once wear it, will reveal to the judges my poise and confidence. As a reference, to search what the earlier winners have worn to ensure our dress will fit in because it reflects the traditions of the pageant system. To choose the right color that outshines our skin. Also to ensure our pageant gown fits with what is predictable in the age division. Mrs tends to be more traditional while Miss can be more sexier.
3. Fittings. This is the most important facet of selecting a pageant dress. We must be feeling comfortable while wearing it in front of the judges. A pageant gown is all about you, hence it is crucial that you like it.
4. Practice makes perfect. Practice walking with the dress in high heels.
World Class Beauty Queens: What are your tips for winning interview?
1. Watch the pageant interview section from past years via online pageant website or YouTube.
2. Talk to the former contestants.
3. Prepare for question and answer drills for interview to be conducted, to do research on what topics might come up and prepare for it.
4. Improve the communication skills, vocal training with good voice projection.
5. Self-determined, resilience and perseverance. The key is never to give up, even if you are facing some odd questions which you are not prepared for them, but try to answer them with your true heart.
World Class Beauty Queens: How did you prepare for your competition?
I started reading up on the pageant that I joined to understand it better and how it works before I could work on anything. Each time after attending the training, I practiced catwalk at home as much as I could because I believe with determination and hard work and perseverance, I could achieve a great catwalk. Practice definitely makes perfect and it is proven that during the competition, I have done a good catwalk as commented by my training teacher, although there is always room for improvement and betterment. Besides the catwalk, I also do treadmill workouts every night and prepared myself for the question and answer segment of the competition. By striving to be a better version of myself at each stage of competition to deliver my best in every performance.
World Class Beauty Queens: What is one mistake that you've done during competing you wish you could redo and fix it?
The one mistake that I have done during competing which I wish I could redo and fix it is the introduction speech that I had given during the performance of my national costume. The speech given was not really good, although I have practiced many times at home and during training. I need to improve my voice projection and control without straining, by speaking clearly and confidently in front of all audiences to hook their attention.
World Class Beauty Queens: What other mistakes are made by girls during the contest?
Other mistakes made by contestants during the contest such as they did not make eye contact with the judges while on stage and some did not smile showing teeth.
World Class Beauty Queens: Any modeling or acting experience?
No, I don't have any modeling or acting experience.
World Class Beauty Queens: What are your plans for 2019 as a Queen?
My plans for 2019 as a Queen is to inspire hope in other women and make them more empowered. For those under abused women, through the platform of WAO, I can train them the skills in an administrative role to work in society to earn income and support their family, not to live under the shadow of their abusive husbands or partners.
World Class Beauty Queens: What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind?
The legacy that I want to leave behind is I want people to tell stories about my achievements in pageantry and also my contribution to the society, a memory for my children of my success story in pageant history.
International Director: Datin Sharon Too National Director: Mrs. Melissa Seow Official Pageant Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/mrsinternationalglobal/ World Class Beauty Queens Magazine would like to say thank you to Tham Choi Kuen Classic Malaysia International Universal 2019 for this wonderful interview.
World Class Beauty Queens Magazine, Tham Choi Kuen Classic Malaysia International Universal 2019 Interview by Derek Tokarzewski Owner/Editor in Chief Mr United Nations 2018 Platform: Women Empowerment Ambassador to International Foundation for Orphans iffocares.org
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