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Mon, Oct 05, 2009
The New Paper
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Largest sum came from Ris, says ERM
by Shree Ann Mathavan & Zaihan Mohamed Yusof

DETHRONED Miss Singapore World Ris Low spent about $12,000 on buying advertisements and tables for the pageant.

This has led to some unease about how she may have won the title.

Ms Tracy Lee, the event director of pageant organiser ERM World Marketing, confirmed that Ris, 19, had spent the most among the finalists, but strongly denied that it had any part in influencing the result.

Ris Low, 19, winner
10 full-page ads in booklet:$7,500
Three tables at finals : $4,500
Total raised: $12,000

Claire Lee, 23, first runner-up
A half-page ad in booklet: $325
Four seats at finals: $600
Total raised: $925

Pilar Arlando, 19, second runner-up
A half-page ad in booklet: $325
Seats at final: Not known

Miss Arlando could not be
reached at press time

She said it was pure coincidence that the biggest spender had won the title.

Ris' short reign has been plagued by controversy - first over her poor diction and then over revelations of her credit-card fraud conviction.

She gave up her crown earlier this week following public outcry over her suitability to represent Singapore in the Miss World finals in South Africa.

Ris' family and supporters bought 10 full-page ads in the 52-page programme booklet for the Miss Singapore World finals in July.

A flip through the booklet shows that she had the most number of advertisements of the finalists.

Ris told The New Paper yesterday that each full-page advertisement costs $750, which would make the total cost $7,500.

It is understood that a half-page advertisement costs about $325.

Apart from Ris, only three other finalists had advertisements in the programme booklet.

First runner-up Claire Lee, 23 and second runner-up, Miss Pilar Arlando, 19, each had one half-page advertisement paid for by their respective sponsors or supporters.

Another contestant, who was not placed in the top five, also had placed one half-page advertisement.

In addition, Ris' family, friends and supporters bought three tables at about $1,500 per table, which would have amounted to $4,500.

Ms Lee said the full proceeds from the table sales go to the Down Syndrome Association of Singapore.

Ris said she didn't think that her spending had any impact on the judges' decision to pick her as the winner.

'It doesn't matter if you buy tables or advertisements. There is no such thing as buying over the judges. The truth is being twisted here,' she said.

She maintained that she won the pageant on her own merit.

'The judges like me and that's why I won. If the judges didn't fancy me, do you think I could have won so many titles?'

She added: 'I don't think I spent the most of all the contestants.'

When pressed on who else spent more, she said: 'I have no idea, I really cherish friendships I made during the competition. But it seems like someone is out to sabotage me.'

First runner-up Claire Lee also observed that Ris' number of advertisements was noticeably more than the rest of the finalists.

However, another contestant we spoke to, Miss Oxy Ong, 20, an undergraduate, did not get her supporters to buy any ads or tables at the finals.

Yet, she was placed in the top five.

She said: 'I can't comment on Ris or on the others, but I didn't spend money because I would rather spend the money on grooming and training.'

She said she didn't know which contestant spent the most money, and added: 'I'll rather compete fairly on my own strengths and capabilities.'

This is not the first time that pageant organiser ERM has been embroiled in such a controversy. In August last year, The New Paper reported on similar allegations in the Mrs Singapore pageant, which is also organised by ERM.

Then, several finalists banded together to complain that the winner was the contestant who spent the most at the finals.

It was reported that the winner who walked away with five titles had booked six tables, placed eight advertisements and garnered 17,710 votes (with 10 votes costing $3).

Denied allegations

When contacted then, Ms Lee flatly denied the allegations that the winner is the one who spent the most.

She said then: 'The titles had nothing to do with the amount the contestants spent on the pageant.'

She said the judges were not aware of how many tables or ads the contestants had paid for.

Ms Lee added that such amounts were paid out of the contestants 'own free will' and was 'not compulsory'.

Pageant veteran Mrs Patricia Ng, 37, who runs grooming business Glamour Beaute Consultancy, has participated in more than 10 pageants, including those by ERM.

Mrs Ng joined the Mrs Singapore pageant twice, once in 2001 and in 2006.

In 2001, she did not spend anything on the finals. Three years ago, when she bought 10 tables at about $800 each, she managed to win the Mrs Singapore United Nations title and went on to represent Singapore overseas in United States.

That led to her winning the Mrs United Nations International title.

She bought tables at the time because she said: 'I felt like I had no choice.'

 

COMPANY RUNS AROUND 30 PAGEANTS

Miss Singapore World is not the only pageant that ERM runs.

A check on its website reveals that ERM runs about 30 local pageants.

These include titles like Manhunt Singapore and Miss Singapore Tourism, among others.

The company also has a presence overseas organising 18 pageants in China and nine in Malaysia.

 

readers' comments
Maybe the press should look for the Organising Chairperson, Ms Valentane Huang for more information.
Posted by KK090766 on Wed, 7 Oct 2009 at 18:51 PM


Looks like maybe Mediacorp can use this saga for their next production.
Wait till they see my scripts.( For sale)
I am thinking maybe Ms Fiona can be the female lead.
Anyone knows where she is?
And anyone can suggest names for the rest of the cast members?
Posted by simonplay on Wed, 7 Oct 2009 at 16:37 PM


Forget about asking the judges...they hiding in the kelongs now..U asked them they will give the stuck up reply!!!.
:p
Posted by gundamwingX on Tue, 6 Oct 2009 at 17:21 PM
Who Were The Judges? Why Are They Hiding? Somehow Something Fishy Here....the Judges Are Not Exposed....no Press Interviews Of The Judges...why? The Media Afraid Of Them? Perhaps An Influential Person's One Of The Judges?
Posted by goodytoo on Tue, 6 Oct 2009 at 11:43 AM


ERM had earlier said in a press statement that it will hold interviews to determine the new representative - although other pageant organisers say it is industry practice for the first runner-up to assume the title in an event where the winner is unable to represent the country.

MediaCorp understands the finalist has to leave Nov 15 for the finals in South Africa.

With the pageant's top two out of the running, whether Singapore will have a representative this year is anybody's guess given that one month may be too short a period for a contestant to prepare adequately.

As for second runner-up, Ms Pilar Arlando, 19, she did not respond to phone calls yesterday, while the other two women in the Top Five, Ms Sonia Sawlani, 23, and Ms Oxy Ong, 20, confirmed they have not .....
Posted by gundamwingX on Tue, 6 Oct 2009 at 10:08 AM
This is not the first time that someone who had posted the largest amount of money in advertising won the contest organised by ERM...I will not say that Ris is not pretty, that would be too mean...What would have been better to say is that, all things being equal, the advertisements gave her an edge, whether deservedly or not...When I was young I heard people say, "Once bitten twice shy, twice bitten go and die"...There may be some truth in this saying...So just do not support any ERM orgainised ativities in future, case closed...
Posted by kooldog59 on Mon, 5 Oct 2009 at 22:30 PM
As for ERM Marketing , its such a circus that they are running . But they earn money making clowns out of those desperate contestants .
Posted by niederanven on Mon, 5 Oct 2009 at 20:43 PM
LeeW.Y.

Maybe you do not socialise much. But again beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder.
Majority of us do not think that Risky & Lowly has crossed the line to the beautiful people . Lets just base it on looks alone because the rest is at rock bottom , all murky . The more she tries to show her true self , the more embarassing it gets . Shouldn't stir the muddy waters anymore .
Posted by niederanven on Mon, 5 Oct 2009 at 20:41 PM
I have got hold of the Miss Singapore World program booklet and will like to share some observations.

6 pages of the booklet were devoted to introduce all the 22 finalists with their photographs, names, contestant numbers, age and occupations.

3 contestants bought a half-page ads each.

As for Ris Low alone, she has 10 pages of ads, of which 6 are from her parents. Her parents are loaded. I wonder why Ris did not have a supplementary card or engage a language coach before the competition.

What is surprising is a one page ads by Lumiere, the co-presenter of the Miss World Singapore and U know is the model for that ads. The design and layout of the program booklet will have to ready for printing at least 2 weeks before the final. I am impressed .....
Posted by KK090766 on Mon, 5 Oct 2009 at 20:25 PM
"cachet", not "cache" in my last post.
Posted by AppleLemon on Mon, 5 Oct 2009 at 18:53 PM

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