KUCHING: A mother of two is encouraging hijab-wearing women and mothers to join pageantry, promoting the message that it is never too late to shine on stage.
Mardiana Dickson, 33, winner of the Ms Stellar World Malaysia Borneo 2024 category, said taking a chance could lead to victory and empowering more women in hijab and also mothers.
“I am a mother as well, with two boys, and they are with me here tonight in their strollers,” she told Sarawak Tribune at the Grand Riverine Ballroom on Sunday.
Mardiana, who works as a field operations engineer in the oil and gas industry, is excited about her future after winning the beauty pageant.
She will represent Borneo at the national contest in Kuala Lumpur; the winner will then represent Malaysia in Atlanta, USA.
She hopes Borneo will achieve a remarkable feat by securing a position in the top 5 or even claiming victory in the prestigious US competition.
“I reside in Miri, specifically in Taman Tunku, but I work in Bintulu. My husband and I commute between Miri, where we live, and Bintulu for work.
“But my parents are in West Malaysia. My father has Iban and Melanau heritage, while my mother has a mixed background of Malay, Thai, and a bit of Chinese descent,” Mardiana shared.
Another winner in the Miss Stellar World Malaysia Borneo 2024 category, Adline Teo, shared her surprise and joy at winning.
“It’s been a long journey over the past three months. I did my best, and I never expected to win the competition in Kuala Lumpur soon,” she said.
Teo, a sales manager from Sibu with Kenyah and Chinese heritage, participated in pageantry contests four times before achieving her first victory in this beauty pageant.
She received unwavering support from her family members, who attended the event to cheer her on.
Another category — Ms Elite Stellar World Malaysia Borneo 2024 — was won by Ani Mustapa, 48, from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. Ani, a freelance photographer, expressed her happiness and excitement at winning the beauty pageant.
“I feel so happy and very excited because I did not expect to win the Ms Elite category for Miss Stellar World Malaysia Borneo. It is the first time I’ve joined a beauty pageant. Over the past three to five days, I have made many friends and built strong relationships,” she said.
Ani expressed her gratitude to Kimi Tomas, Borneo state director, and national director Sherlyn Chan Seet Leng for their advices and encouragement.
“If not for Kimi or the national director, I wouldn’t be here. I would not have won this competition,” she added.
When asked if she would be attending more beauty pageants in the future, Ani said her current focus would be the national level contest in Kuala Lumpur before shifting focus elsewhere.
A total of 21 participants from Sarawak and Sabah competed in the final competition of Miss Stellar World Malaysia Borneo 2024.
The participants went through three rounds of costume shows, namely, traditional wear, modern Borneo batik wear, and evening gown.
Afterwards, the top five participants in each category had a question and answer session with the judges before the winners for each category, who would represent Borneo in Kuala Lumpur, were chosen.
