Staying Positive ... Meet Kiran Jassal the newly crowned Miss Universe Malaysia 2016

SOME people can only dream about being crowned as a beauty queen. For Kiran Jassal, however, it is a reality. In spite of her tender age, she is the winner of the Miss Universe Malaysia 2016.
Although the 20-year-old has always wanted to join the pageant, she only did it after much persuasion from her mother.
"I had a lot of doubts about joining, but my mother convinced me to give it a try. She told me that since I'm so young, I have nothing to lose.
"In fact, she herself participated in the Mrs Malaysia World under the classic category last year, and she said it was a whole new different experience," explained Kiran.
And it was indeed an "exciting yet nerve wracking" adventure for this young lady.
"I have never done this before, so I faced difficult? difficult with the catwalk and photoshoot.
Considering that I was new, I was slightly intimidated by my competitors, who were more experienced, even though they were nice.
But moving forward with the journey, I learnt a lot about myself, discovered many new things, and took the leap of faith.
I practised hard to improve my catwalk, my public speaking technique, and my social skills.
I tried to improve myself in every aspect because I want to give it my all, even if I don't end up winning."
What was the most challenging thing that you had to overcome during the competition?
The most difficult part was the fact that I was new, yet I had to not let my inexperience show.
Although the other girls were nice and we got along well, it was different when I was with the judges and photographers. In front of them, I had to be confident and not let my nerves get the best of me.

Did you expect to win the title?
I really wanted to win; which was why I took up catwalk classes on my own and improved my general knowledge by reading newspapers and magazines. Since I was quite new in the industry, I had my reservations too.
Nevertheless, I remained positive throughout because I knew that I couldn't afford any negativity.
In your opinion, why did you think the judges chose you as the winner?
I'm sure it was a difficult decision for them but I suppose they saw the potential in me that they can groom me for the international stage for I have what it takes to compete globally.
How has life been since being crowned?
It's definitely different than going to class. It took me a while to adapt, but it's exciting because my schedule varies from day to day.
Every day, I am doing different things and meeting new people. Also, it's a lot of hard work and there's so much to learn, so fortunately I'm a keen learner and I want to make it count since I'm already here.
Now that you've been crowned Miss Universe Malaysia 2016, what is your plan for the next five years?
First of all, I want to win Miss Universe at the end of this year. And five years from now, I see myself as a fourth year student in dentist school.
I was supposed to begin in February this year, but I had to defer my studies because I won the competition. Regardless of anything, I won't give up dentistry.
There's this conception that contestants in the pageant are catty and half-witted. What's your take on this?
I think in today's society, this isn't relevant any more. Personally, there was no hostility during the competition and everyone is smart.
Besides, if you watch Miss Universe 2015, the candidates gave well informed answers during the question and answer session. This goes to show that it's not just about a pretty face or a perfect body, it's the whole package that matters.
You can be beautiful, but there are other equally, if not more, gorgeous women standing next to you on the stage, so how do you stand out?
Hence, it's not just about the appearance, you also need to have the communication skills, intelligence, poise and more.