The Federal Territories Islamic Department (Jawi) has rejected an appeal by Miss Malaysia World 2013 organisers to allow Muslims to participate in the event.

Anna Lim, pageant licensee and main organiser, said that she was informed of this by Jawi director Che Mat Che Ali by phone this afternoon.

“It is very sad. Those who make up the majority of this country won’t be able to participate,” she said when contacted.

NONE Last Thursday, Lim ( right in photo ) had met Che Mat and other Jawi officials to present arguments for Muslim participation in the pageant.

Lim had told Jawi that the local leg will allow participants to opt for sports wear instead of swimsuits and that Miss World 2013 will be held in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim nation, with some format amendments to suit local sensitivities.

Of the 20 finalist for Miss Malaysia World 2013, four Muslims were shortlisted but were dropped by organisers later in order not to contravene a fatwa (religious edict) barring Muslim participation in beauty pageants.

Following this, there were a news report by Berita Harian claiming that the four would ignore the edict, resulting in Jawi initiating a probe against them for “insulting Islam”. Two of the four have denied doing so.

Lim said that the four women were “very depressed, unhappy and stressed”.

“Not only were they unable to participate, they are facing investigations,” she said.

Sarah Amelia Bernard was the only one of the four dropped participants to attend the pageant training session at the event venue today to support the other participants.

Lim said the others were too depressed to do so.

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