Search the Community

Here we go again! http://women.asiaone.com/women/people/miss-world-singapore-2015-draws-flak-myanmar-roots Miss World Singapore 2015 draws flak for Myanmar roots Charlene ChuaThe New PaperSunday, Oct 25, 2015 20151023_limelite2.jpg Winning a beauty pageant has been her dream since she was a little girl. Miss Charity Maru, also known as Charity Lu Lu Seng, finally tasted sweet victory on Wednesday night. The 24-year-old freelance translator beat 13 other contestants to be crowned Miss World Singapore 2015 at the One Farrer Hotel & Spa. But her joy was quickly tainted by criticism online that she is not the best person to represent Singapore at the international finals on Dec 19 in Sanya, China. The debate started because Miss Maru, is a relatively new citizen: She received her pink IC only in 2007. She was born in northern Myanmar to a Kachin family. The Kachin people are made up of ethnic groups who inhabit the northern Kachin State and neighbouring areas of China and India. Miss Maru, who is proud of her Kachin roots, said she loves Singapore and does not see why she cannot have the best of both worlds in her pageant journey. "One of my goals I set for myself should I win Miss World Singapore was to introduce my people to the world." When asked what she meant by "my people", Miss Maru said she meant the Kachin. "I believe that I am the first Kachin to take part in the Miss World Pageant. "Also, now that I am Singaporean, I want to represent Singapore well at the finals by showing that charity, which is a big component of Miss World, should be a lifestyle choice instead of a one-off thing." Some of her online detractors were adamant that should they support Miss Maru, they want her to identify only with being Singaporean when she takes to the world stage. Wrote one netizen: "Charity is a Singapore citizen with a pink Singapore identity card. "She is not representing Myanmar and therefore...she should be proud, and only be proud, to be a Singaporean." On the flak she has received, Miss Maru told The New Paper: "I grew up here, this is my home and I'm proud to be a Singaporean. "I hope people would respect me just as a Singaporean." CAME HERE AT 12 Miss Maru, who is 1.7m tall, was brought up by her grandmother and aunts in Myanmar as her parents came to Singapore to work when she was young. Her father is a senior engineer and her retired mother was a nurse in Tan Tock Seng Hospital. When she was 12, her parents brought her here to live with them. The former student of Balestier Hill Primary School, Beatty Secondary School and Singapore Polytechnic has been volunteering for the last two years as a Sunday school teacher at Kachin Baptist Church (Singapore), where she enjoys being a youth leader. Although she had, from the time she was young, yearned to be a beauty queen, she refused to join beauty pageants because most of them required participants to wear swimsuits. Said Miss Maru: "So when I read that this year (for the first time in 63 years), Miss World was going to remove the swimsuit round from the international finals, it was a dream come true for me to join the local pageant, and then actually win it. "I had joined it secretly and told my parents only on the morning of the (local) finals that I was a Miss World finalist." As a nod to Miss World's chairman Julia Morley's decision to cut the swimsuit round, the organiser of Miss World Singapore, Mr Raymund Ooi, also turned the bikini segment this year into a casual wear segment. Miss Maru is also more determined than ever to "improve" on herself as she wants to win a title at the competition. For example, she will be working on her catwalk, which she feels is not up to standard. The self-confessed sweat-hater, who weighs 56kg, also intends to do more toning exercises so that she will have a better physique. From now to the competition, she will not eat dinner and will have her last meal every day at 4pm in order to keep her weight down. She will also be working hard on her community project in Singapore, which will count for 40 per cent of her score in China. Said Miss Maru: "I am prepared to win something at the Miss World finals. "I will do everything that I can to get it for Singapore.

http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/...speech-20130403 http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/u...ow/19357430.cms

Flipped newspaper today and saw BMW used for quite a few lucky draws (mandarin gallery, citibank, etc)... why keep using BMW and not MERC or AUDI? Is it because BMW is more established or recognised by the consumers? Appreciate your comments and views.

Was in JB for my usual pumping and dinner with a friend. Pumped full at Pelangi Shell and left. At the exit of the station, one guy and one woman, early 20s approached. They claim that they are from this company which r newly formed, and wishes to use this lucky draw as a marketing strategy. They passed me and my frnd each a broucher and wanted us to open it. if it says thanks, then too bad, and if there is a price hiiden, i have won. True enough i opened mine and inside shows a round silver or blue circle. That guy became v exicted and said OMG this is the big prize, immediately called his manager and the manager spoke to me, asking if i'm in relation with the guy giving out the lucky draw as he scared we might be in cahoots. Then he showed me a lot of newspaper cutting saying that i have won the lucky draw, the prize would only show upon reaching the office and using the machine to scan. After much pestering, he brought me to therir office at Desa Tebrau. Everything seems fine at the office, manager started explanation to me abotu the whole company, nothing fishy. The main problem is that when i acknowledge that i wanted to check out the prize, i would have to prepare RM3798 to pay for one of the company new products and some custom or govt GST. Upon checking the prize, they would collect my RM3798 and process the prize, collected within 30mins. The prize that they are giving are prizes like toyota altis and holiday packages, each worthing at least RM6K. so no matter wad i would nv make a loss. However after much thinking and all these cases of conman, i decided to give my frnd a call, a salon girl whom i regulared. she mentioned that all these are con tricks and upon paying, the prizes would turn out to be those useless worthless stuffs. In the end i gave up the "PRIZE" and went off. Just want to remind MCf pals who frequent JB, if u happen to meet these guys, dun waste ur time. I'm lucky to have wasted an hour and RM5 of petrol only. They might one day start to use abuse to bring out ur $$ b4 letting u off.

Hi All, Please beware when you enter any lucky draw in future. Marketing ppl r getting more sly these days. My personal encounter: Recently, on 31 Dec 07, received an sms saying that my application for XXXXX credit card has been approved and will be send to me within 3 days, and if I do not receive the card in 3days please call this number. I called up the credit card company and told them I received this sms even though I did not apply for their card. They investigated and told me that I have automatically applied for their card while entering a lucky draw when I pay my bills using those A*S machines/kiosks located in malls or petrol stations. At the end of paying bill using those kiosks, there is those lucky draw thingy where you r required to enter your contact details. And that is how they got my contact for application. This is really ridiculous! how can a lucky draw contest be associated with credit card application. From this lesson, I will reminder myself not to enter any lucky draw contest or survey anymore. Regards Orac

the new Vios rear lamp clusters arrangements are similar to Proton Waja. Even down to the white case blinkers and reverse lamps. Furthermore it is the ugliest part of Waja they resembles -the rear. Are Toyota really so lack of ideas and inspiration?