Controversy was expected at the Miss Universe Singapore (MUS)pageant this year.

After all, this was the first time that transgender women were allowed to compete in the iconic beauty contest. No transgender hopefuls turned up for the auditions this year.

But controversy has still arisen. Pageant organiser Derrol StePenny Promotions has come under fire for having 16 Chinese finalists.

According to Ms Penny Pang, co-owner of Derrol StePenny Promotions, it is the first time in its 12 years of organising the pageant that this has happened.

When the finalists' pictures were revealed on the MUS 2013's Facebook page last month, irate members of the public accused the organiser of being racist.

One commented that "MUS may as well hold a Miss Chinatown pageant instead".

Another wrote that "the non-Chinese already find it tough living in Singapore, so the exclusion of non-Chinese contestants from MUS 2013 had served to further perpetuate this".

Severely affected by the volume of hate mail that she received, Ms Pang admits that she had almost wanted to throw in the towel.

She says she felt wrongly accused as she had a viable explanation for the choice of the 16 finalists, who met the media at the pageant's press conference yesterday.

For one, very few non-Chinese women had applied to join MUS this year.

Ms Pang, 43, tells The New Paper: "We had a total of 80 girls audition for us, and only five were non-Chinese.

"Out of these five, we couldn't even consider three of them as they didn't meet the basic requirements for height (at least 1.65m-tall) and figure.

"My team had suggested that I put in a few non-Chinese girls to be politically correct but I couldn't do it.

"I'm sticking with my guns as this is, after all, a beauty pageant and we are looking for the total package.

"What I told all the haters is that I only see one colour, Singaporean. And I put through the most outstanding Singaporean girls.

"I will continue to do the same every year."

Other criteria that hopefuls have to meet include eloquence, intelligence, beauty, confidence and a good figure.

Since auditions started last month, Ms Pang had also approached local modelling agencies in search of suitable contestants.

She said that the number of finalists each year is different, depending on how many meet the "Miss Universe standards".

The finals for MUS 2013 will be held on July 6 at the Shangri-La Hotel.

Dissing the MUS contestants has become a sport for some netizens over the years.

It was no exception this year.

A netizen who went by the name of hyke posted: "This one got rack... clothes rack."

Another with the moniker tuna wrote: "Her ears could be useful. If she took up sailing."

Ms Pang says this is a vicious cycle - attractive women with the total package may not be stepping forward to join MUS for fear of ridicule from these detractors.

She adds: "So we get accused of being racist when it's these unsupportive people who are likely deterring potential finalists to join the pageant in the first place.

"I know all these girls (finalists) like family and they have put in so much effort into the competition. I hope more Singaporeans will support our own."

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