Post-'transformation' Miss Singapore Beauty Pageant 2017 finalists back with charity car wash

The Miss Singapore Beauty Pageant finalists are back to face the public after a ‘journey of transformation’.

The 19 finalists will be involved in a charity car wash today (Aug 6) at the Red Cross House on 15 Penang Lane, from 11am to 6pm, and proceeds from the event would go towards the Singapore Red Cross, reports The Straits Times. 

Other than that, the finalists will also be riding down the streets of Orchard Road and Temasek Boulevard on Harley Davidson bikes, no less.

The event comes after a rocky July, where netizens criticised 16 of the 19 finalists, saying that they were ‘ugly’ and ‘repulsive’, after an unofficial photo of them taken by a member of the public was posted online.

Taking the criticism in their stride, pageant organiser ERM Singapore Marketing said in a statement on Friday (Aug 4) that the contestants have undergone a ‘journey of transformation’ and are now ‘ready and confident to showcase their own definition of beauty to the world’. 

It also acknowledged that the flak caused psychological hurt to the finalists, but the ordeal had brought the finalists closer together, and made them more determined to achieve more, as well as grant them a ‘new understanding towards the importance of possessing the humanitarian spirit.’

For those who are interested in supporting the finalists and charity, each wash for a saloon car or a motorbike costs S$20, while sports utility vehicles and multi-purpose vehicles will cost S$30.

This year marks the 29th that the Miss Singapore Beauty Pageant has been organised.

It is open to all Singaporeans and permanent residents aged 17 to 26 years old. 

There will be four winners each of a different title, --- Miss Singapore Tourism Queen, Miss Singapore Chinatown, Miss Singapore Global Beauty Queen and Miss Grand Singapore --- and the winners will then go on to represent Singapore on the global stage, under their respective titles.