Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, has blasted Miss Pacific Islands, Latafale Auva’a, for choosing the Miss World Pageant over the regional one.
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The Miss Pacific Islands pageant is being held in the Cook Islands from 11-12 December.
However, the Miss World pageant is being held in China on 19 December.
The 133 contestants – including Ms. Auva’a - are required to arrive a month before, to prepare. It means she will not be able to attend the Miss Pacific Islands to hand over the crown.
“The only pageant that our Miss was supposed to contest in is the Pacific Islands one,” Tuilaepa said.
“But to go on the world stage is a waste of time (na’o pa’upa’u mea maua ai).”
The word pa’up’au in Samoan refers to snots.
According to Tuilaepa, the Miss Pacific Islands should get her priorities right.
“The Miss Pacific is to promote Samoa and the other Pacific islands,” he said. “But to jump up onto the world stage is just wanting too much…it is common practice for us to leave what we are capable of and to reach for something that we are nowhere near accomplishing.
All you get is embarrassment.”
The Prime Minister, who is also the Minister of Tourism, said he planned to talk to the organising committee, to advise Ms. Auva’a to prioritise attending the Miss Pacific Islands pageant.
But that might be too late.
Contacted for a comment yesterday, Ms. Auva’a was not about to change her mind.
“All I can say is that I’m going,” she said.
The decision for her to go, Ms. Auva’a said, was approved by the Miss Pacific Islands Board.
Looking back, Tuilaepa recalled that the Miss Pacific pageant was originally run by the private sector until the government stepped in. He remembered in 1995, when the Pageant was held in Tonga, for about five years in a row, Samoa came last.
“When the government started handling it again, we started winning year after year,” said Tuilaepa.
“Back then, we also decided that the winner should work with Samoa Tourism Authority so she could learn and get used to how she could promote our island.
“But I am shocked to hear about [Ms. Auva’a’s] decision.”
Yesterday, Ms. Auva’a said a fundraising dinner, planned for last night, to help fund her bid for the Miss World title was postponed to the following week. Funding and sponsorship for Ms. Auva’a is being organised in New Zealand.
In terms of clothing, Ms. Auva’a sees the Miss World pageant as an opportunity to promote Pacific Island designers.
Her main evening dress is designed by Samoan designer Afa Ah Loo, who recently presented designs at the Fiji Fashion week.
Mr. Ah Loo also had designs modeled at the L.A. Fashion week.
Clothing for Ms. Auva’a to wear is also sponsored by TAV Pacific and Mahealani. Ms. Auva’a leaves for Auckland, New Zealand, today for a week and a half to do promotional work and get beauty products. From there, she travels onto China.
Recent modeling photos of Ms Auva’a are on social media, taken with Samoan scenery in the background. The Miss World hopeful wants to build the country’s reputation, going into the competition.
“Samoa is a small island nation. It’s really important to try and make a little bit of a stand before even getting there;
that this is a nation we should watch out for!
“Going over there, I will be [with] many beautiful women, so that was important for me to make sure I get some more modeling shots here.”
She hopes to make it into the top 20 finalists. And if nothing comes of it, she will return to university to complete her final year in her Bachelor of Law degree.
She has just completed her Music Degree.
On her Facebook page, Miss World Samoa, she has more than 4500 followers. Every day, for 20 days, she is updating a video diary on what she is doing while in Samoa to promote the pageant.
For her, to take part in the Miss World pageant is an incredible opportunity.
“I never do things half-heartedly, so I’m all in this. I guess the whole year has been training for me in preparing me to go to this pageant.
“The types of questions people ask me, the type of image I want to show. And also just presenting myself as a Samoan over there as well [and] being marketable to the world. So I think I’ve been prepared well and I’m really excited to go over.”
The Miss Pacific Islands crown would be presented to the winner by her predecessor, Miss Pacific Islands, Teuira Raechel Napa of the Cook Islands.
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