Malaysian beauty queen stripped of her title over viral Thai holiday video
Viru Nikah Terinsip apologised for sharing a video in which she could be seen responding to men’s suggestive dances while holidaying in Thailand
The beauty pageant’s head said such behaviour was uncalled for in a beauty queen that supposedly represents the spirit of a mythological maiden
The 24-year-old, who won the Unduk Ngadau Johor pageant last year, was stripped of her title by the Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA) despite apologising publicly via a 53-second long video posted to her TikTok account @_duyung.darat.
Confirming the move, KDCA President Joseph Pairin Kitingan said such behaviour was uncalled for in a beauty queen that supposedly represents the spirit of Huminodun – a maiden in the mythology of the ethnic Dusun people of Sabah state who is renowned for her beauty and wisdom.
“We were made to understand that she went on a private holiday with her family to Thailand. We do silly things and get carried away when holidaying,” he said. “If the video did not go viral, no one would know it happened.”
Noting that “this would not be an issue if she was just an ordinary person”, he said: “there were a lot of mixed reactions, some saw the humour in her video, some sympathised, others were unhappy and complained. We [KDCA] do not want to be the target and attract unnecessary attention.”
“We hope that she will accept this decision well. Let this serve as a warning to all Unduk Ngadaus to not repeat the mistake,” he added.
Unduk Ngadau is a cultural beauty pageant that is one of the highlights of the Kaamatan (harvest) festival in Sabah.
In the video, Viru could be seen responding to several men’s suggestive dances while holidaying in Thailand.
Viru, a popular content creator and entrepreneur, said in her apology video that that she would humbly accept if her title is revoked, and apologised for her carelessness in posting the offending footage.
“I am thankful for all the beautiful words coming from netizens, and let’s focus on other issues and more forward,” she said.
“Most importantly, please leave my family and friends out as they are not involved in this matter. It is up to you whether you would accept [my explanation] or not, but this comes sincerely from my heart. Thank you for listening.”
