New twists in Miss Singapore World drama
It all started with one interview with RazorTV that brought Ris Low and her language skils to Singapore's attention. YouTube video from lolsingaporelol.
It's better than watching soap operas on the telly. Quick recap: First, the winner of Miss Singapore World 2009, 19 year-old Ris Low brought to us memorable phrases like "zipbra preens" (zebra prints), "bigini" (bikini) and the immortal "Boomz!" She was heavily criticized (or rather bombarded, with over a few thousand comments on the various Youtube videos alone) for her lack of diction. Now, My Paper reports she was found guilty this year of credit card fraud. There was also a revelation in the Straits Times that she has bipolar disorder, or manic depressive disorder.
Besides the Singapore F1, few could talk of little else over the weekend. The blogosphere's all abuzz with heated discussions, while the dailies are all covering the latest developments extensively. In a Sunday Times street poll, 23 out of 40 Singaporeans interviewed said Low should not keep her title or represent Singapore in the MSW beauty pageant, and feared Singapore's reputation would be tarnished if she continues wearing the crown. Gauging from the online fervor, there is division over whether Ris Low should be the face of Singapore on the international stage.
The 'Strip her title!' mob
The majority now, other than the ST poll, seems to be of the opinion that Low's Miss Singapore crown should be removed. Fellow contestant michism89 posted on a AsiaOne forum thread that she felt "ashamed of this as a fellow contestant for this pageant. It's bad enough that she cannot even enunciate and now this fraud." perceivedtobe added that "for the good of our nation's image, strip the title off Miss Biginni Booommzz [sic] and have one of the runners-up take over. If all the rest are just as crap, then withdraw from Miss World this year!"
Despite Low's acknowledgement of regret in an interview with The New Paper, blogger meetlilprincess thinks that "No matter how repentant she is, I feel that she should not represent Singapore. I would not say that a beauty queen has to be completely "flawless." However, one's morality has to be of an acceptable level, at least." Christopher Toh from Today Online also doesn't think that she should represent Singapore as "every crime should have some sort of punishment."
This from Low's former supervisor at the medical clinic where she committed the fraud offences. Speaking to The New Paper, she said, "I don't think somebody who did what she did should be allowed to represent Singapore in an international pageant." According to her, Low's offences were brought to light after patients complained they never got their credit cards back after paying their medical bills.
The 'Leave the girl alone' camp
Despite all the controversy, there are some who sees the good in all. Blogpastor lists several reasons why Ris Low should continue to be Miss Singapore World -- "It will show the world that Singapore is a gracious society and forgiving of failures. Secondly, she will inspire with hope and possibilities those with a criminal record and are striving to go straight. Thirdly, she will also inspire the millions of people who suffer from mental illnesses."
Temasek Review also questioned whether we're being too harsh on Low, saying that "Ris Low may not exactly be the most ideal and qualified winner for Miss Singapore World, but surely she deserved an applause for her bravery to step forward into the limelight. As for her past conviction, it is only human to err. Ris had already expressed her remorse for her mistakes. What is done cannot be undone. What else do we expect her to do?"
Yeoh Wee Teck from The New Paper also expressed sympathy for the young lady, saying that she's not perfect but Singapore's best hope for the contest. "Ris was just 17 when she committed the offence. Youthful recklessness and stupidity? That was a crazy age for many of us. Can we all, hand on heart, say we were squeaky clean then?"
Despite all the debates and arguments, it might all be a moot point -- Ris Low is still serving her 24-month probation, which prohibits overseas travel. Lawyer Adrian Wee told The New Paper that it was up to Ris' probation officer to decide whether to allow her to travel to South Africa for the December Miss World titles. "Such decisions are usually determined on a case-by-case basis," he said. The same article also noted that according to The Miss World regulations, pageant contestants must not have been charged or convicted in any court of law in any country.
What do you think? Aye or nay for Ris Low to continue wearing the Miss Singapore World crown? Drop us your comments below.
