Beauty and more.

Teh, Queensbay Mall Oriental Queen 2011 winner rendering a sentimental Mandarin number.

HAVING grown up watching an elder sister strut her stuff on catwalks, Joey Teh Shu Ru has set her sights on emulating her and eventually making forays into the world of beauty pageants once she was of requisite age.

Now 22 and with two previous titles under her belt, the Penang lass exudes confidence. On Saturday, she grabbed her third crown after emerging as Queensbay Mall’s Oriental Queen 2011, holding off stiff challenges from 11 others.

The win was also a lucky one. Currently pursuing a mass communications course at the Shih Hsin University in Taipei, Taiwan, she was only back in Penang for a Chinese New Year holiday when she chanced upon the contest banners and signed up.

“I like being on stage, it’s where I feel I can bring out the best in myself. I’m also blessed to have very supportive parents and friends.

“My sister has always been my idol. She also took part in beauty pageants previous and would regularly finish among the top 10. I’m very proud of her,” she said.

Though ecstatic with her win — one that netted her RM588 in cash and RM500 worth of products — Teh, who aspires to be a deejay, admitted to being a little surprised by the outcome, as well as feeling a little unsure when quizzed about Chinese virtues during the Q&A session.

Finalist Elaine Chee Ming Choo performing a fire breathing stunt.

She however rendered a lovely Mandarin number by Taiwanese pop singer Angela Chang, and looked resplendent whilst parading around in a light blue and pink cheongsam embellished with floral motifs.

It made her the crowd favourite, and they duly broke out in cheers when she was judged the winner, a feat she believes was in part due to her assured demeanour on stage.

Referring to the cheongsam provided to her by the event organiser, she said “I loved it as it made me look slim!” she quipped, adding that she had been on the lookout to buy a cheongsam of her own, but has yet to find one that’s just perfect.

The intense battle to be crowned Queen of the Orient was played out against an equally regal backdrop that would not have looked amiss even in ancient China, specially erected at the mall’s central atrium for the Lunar New Year festivities.

Choong showing she has the legance and finesse to match her name en route to winning the Talent Award.

After an introductory round, the dozen hopefuls then took turns showcasing their abilities in a talent show, got grilled in the Q&A before making their way around the stage for one last parade.

There were no runners up positions, only four subsidiary title winners. The first of those, the Personality Award, went to Jane See Liang Ning, 18, a public relations student at TAR College.

She performed two routines for the talent segment, a fan dance and handkerchief dance, and later said: “It seems like I always end up with this title when I join pageants. Maybe I have a great personality!”

Her college mates, accounting students Grace Choong Yan Yin, 20, and Melinda Lee, 20, grabbed the Talent Award and Body Beautiful Award respectively.

“Dancing and singing is my forte, and I’m quite contented with this subtitle,” said Choong, who proved that she had the gracefulness to match her name whilst performing a meticulously choreographed dance on stage.

Lee, who later claimed the Body beautiful award, impressing the crowd with her magical abilities.

For Lee, the secret to a shapely figure was one’s diet. “I’ve had to stay away from oily food for an entire week in preparation for this contest.”

Earlier, she performed a magic show and wowed the crowd with her tricks — which included levita-ting a table and turning empty red packets into money.

The final subtitle, the Photogenic Award, was claimed by Venice Tan, 18, who is currently waiting for her SPM results.

“It’s all about how you present yourself on stage. You’ve just got to be yourself and let the inner beauty shine through,” Tan said.

See, Choong, Lee and Tan each took home RM388 in cash and RM500 worth of products.

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2011/2/1/north/7906137&sec=North