Ms Tracy Lee: Everyone is bringing Ris Low down, but she is really an ideal girl - without any airs. She has done all the people who raised money for Down Syndrome very proud.

The New Paper: How much was donated to the Down Syndrome Association (DSA)?
Ms Lee: The money was raised by DSA. I didn't sell a single ticket. I only produced the show under an MOU (memorandum of understanding). Those people who buy (the tickets) get a tax-exempt receipt directly from the DSA. I only raised my sponsorship to cover production costs.

The New Paper: How much was the production cost?

Ms Lee: I won't disclose it because it's my own business.

The New Paper: How much did the tables cost?

Ms Lee: $5,000, $3,000, $2,000, and $1,500. Ris didn't buy the whole ballroom or anything. Her parents and friends bought one table of $1,500.

The New Paper: We understand Ris bought three tables.

Ms Lee: The sponsors bought the table to support her. Is that wrong? The sponsors bought (the tables)... to entertain their friends. They (the contestants) all had to find their own sponsors.

The advertising (in the magazine) is part of our own company support advertisement - we follow the American system... which is not compulsory and has no bearing or anything, except as a committee award within the company.

The New Paper: Is it a coincidence that Ris had 10 full pages (of advertisements) in the magazine? Ms Lee: Not a coincidence. She had some supporters who wanted her to buy the ads.

Why don't you watch the DVD? She was tops... she had the best poise and was the only one among the top five who had the best answer (during the Question and Answer segment). She was a smooth performer.

The New Paper: Are you saying it was a coincidence that she had more ads than any other contestants and that she won?

Ms Lee: Yes, it was a coincidence. You can look at USA pageants, they (the advertisements) have no bearing. It's not compulsory. She is not the one who bought the most number of tables... There were about 730 or 780 seats in the ballroom. It's all sold by DSA, and not by us. It was a Down Syndrome event, not an ERM event.

The New Paper: If all the proceeds went to DSA, how did you cover your production costs?

Ms Lee: I have my own sources... My sponsors, main presenters and the rest. It's normal - Miss World, Miss Universe and even Singapore Idol have to generate their own sponsors.

The New Paper: In Mrs Singapore (July 2008), there were also allegations that contestants had to spend a lot of money to win.

Ms Lee: I didn't respond to it (previously) because it (the allegation) was not the truth. Ris worked very, very hard. She went for talent training and everything. She worked on her own strengths.

The New Paper: Who takes over from Ris?

Ms Lee: We need time to consider that. Give us time and then we will decide who will be selected. Do you know that now I have 100 over people applying to be Miss Singapore World '09 (because of the recent reports)?

The New Paper: Did you come to know of the allegations against Ris Low only when it was reported in My Paper?

Ms Lee: When the report came out... we also checked with our lawyers.

The New Paper: From what we understand, My Paper contacted you more than a week before the story came out. Ms Lee: I didn't entertain My Paper for one reason... When you want anything, you have to be nice. I trashed the (My Paper) e-mail.

The New Paper: If you had received the e-mail, technically, you would have noticed the allegations.

Ms Lee: I'm blind, I'm visually handicapped. So I didn't read the e-mail. I'm completely blind. As far as I'm concerned, most of the time when they (the media) kept calling me... I said I didn't know anything. I never read (the e-mail), I told them. My left eye is blind and my right eye is blurred - hollow vision. I don't entertain people via e-mails. I have secretaries who write. I read e-mails only once a week. I will not answer any further.

The New Paper: Did DSA pay you to organise the event?

Ms Lee: No. I have an agreement with them. This is not the first time... I have been doing this for the last 10 to 12 years... with other organisations. The contestants take part, DSA sells (the tickets) not only to contestants. They also sell to the public. The contestants pay $1,500 per table... they have the last row. I think there were about 70 plus tables... Not every contestant bought seats.

The New Paper: If you don't buy a seat or table, would you still stand a chance to win something?

Ms Lee: Of course.

This transcript has been edited for length. This article was first published in The New Paper .