Miss Grand Malaysia 2020

Miss Grand Malaysia 2020
Date	January 28, 2021
Venue	Online pageant
Broadcaster	YouTube
Entrants	18
Placements	7
Winner	Jasebel Robert (Kuala Lumpur)

Miss Grand Malaysia 2020 was the fifth edition of the Miss Grand Malaysia pageant, held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[1][2][3] Eighteen candidates who qualified for the national round experienced several interview processes and public votes to determine the final winner,^[2][3][4] of whom a 25-year-old, of mixed Indian and Chinese ancestry, from Kuala Lumpur, Jasebel Robert, has been named Miss Grand Malaysia 2020 in the final round on January 28, 2021.^[1][2][5]

Initially, the pageant was scheduled to happen physically in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah,^[6][7] but due to the outbreak, it was re-located to the Kuala Lumpur,^[8][9] and was then postponed twice until January 2021,^[10][11] when the organizer decided to organize the entire event virtually.^[1]

Jasebel Robert later represented Malaysia at the international parent stage, Miss Grand International 2020, held on March 27, 2021, in Bangkok, Thailand,^[12] where she won the Miss Popular Vote Award and was automatically placed among the top 10 finalists, which was also considered, as of 2024, the highest placement the Malaysian delegates ever obtained in the aforementioned international platform.^[13][14]

Background

In the grand final of Miss Grand Malaysia 2019, in addition to crowning the winner, the host of the event also revealed that the national organizer, in cooperation with several local organs, had already set the Borneo's Kota Kinabalu as the host city of the succeeding edition, Miss Grand Malaysia 2020.^[7][6] However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organizer decided to re-located the event to the capital, Kuala Lumpur, and the final coronation night was scheduled for late June 2020.^[8][9]

Since the outbreak was not eliminated, the organizer rescheduled the program to mid-October, 2020,^[10] with the press-conference held on September 4, 2020, at the Bangi Avenue Convention Center (BACC), Kajang.^[4] It was then re-program again to January 2021.^[11] Until an early January 2021, due to such a pandemic, the organizer decided to arrange the event virtually instead of the traditional pageant,^[2] eighteen contestants confirmed to participate.^[3][4]

Selection of contestants

State preliminary contests of Miss Grand Malaysia 2020

State	Final date and venue	Entrants	Qualifier(s)			Ref.
				RU	WC
Selangor	July 25, 2020, at the Malaysia Tourism Centre (MaTiC), Kuala Lumpur	10	1	1	2	[9][15][16]
Kuala Lumpur	March 15, 2020, at the Swiss-Garden Hotel Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur	14	1	2	1	[17][18]
The preliminary contests in Malacca, Sabah, Sarawak, and Johor, was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Overview

Originally, the national finalists for the Miss Grand Malaysia 2020 pageant would consist of 24 contestants.^[17][18] who were determined through three selection systems: the 12 automatic spots for the respective state pageant winners and first-runner-up (Johor, Kuala Lumpur, Malacca, Sabah, Sarawak, and Selangor), and the remaining 12 were pre-determined from either the state pageant finalists or the central audition.^[17] The number of delegates was reduced to 18 due to the cancelation of several state pageants. Most of them were selected through the wild card system.^[4]

Regional pageants

Initially, six states and federal territory were expected to organize the state pageant for Miss Grand Malaysia 2020.^[9] However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, four state pageants, including Malacca, Sabah, Sarawak, and Johor, were entirely canceled. Only the states of Selangor and Kuala Lumpur successfully organized the events, whose winners and runners-up automatically qualified for the national stage.^[15][16][17]

Result

Position	Delegate[3]
Miss Grand Malaysia 2020	Kuala Lumpur – Jasebel Robert
Top 7	Johor – Malveen Kaur Kuala Lumpur – Sarah Cynthia Malacca – Pretty Tey Pei Ling Sarawak – Kelly Raywyn Cahill Selangor – Kimberly Soh Jing Hui Selangor – Lishallinny Kanaran

Contestants

Eighteen contestants from five states and federal territory competed for the title.^[4]

Team Kuala Lumpur (6)			Team Selangor (6)			Team Sarawak (2)
State winner	Melissa Aurellia[17]		State winner	Lishallinny Kanaran[16]		State wild card	Angela Kon Kelly Raywyn Cahill
State runners-up	Poorani Rajoo[17] Vinthiya Vasu		State runner-up	Mellanie Yew Hoe Yan[16]
			State wild card	Meagala Kanesh[16] Reeta Kaur[16]
State wild card	Lindsey Yap Li See
Central wild card	Jasebel Robert Sarah Cynthia		Central wild card	Giselle Tay Kimberly Soh Jing Hui
Team Johor (3)			Team Malacca (1)
State wild card	Venus Xabelle Iyn		State wild card	Pretty Tey Pei Ling
Central wild card	Esther Tan Yu Xing Malveen Kaur

References

1. Thomas Tan (30 January 2021). "Jasebel Robert is Miss Grand Malaysia 2020". cj.my. Archived from the original on 18 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
2. "Jasebel Robert Miss Grand Malaysia 2020". Utusan Borneo. 2 July 2021. Archived from the original on 6 March 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2022.
3. Jude Toyat (7 February 2021). "Jasebel Robert Miss Grand Malaysia 2020". utusanborneo.com.my (in Malay). Archived from the original on 18 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
4. Thomas Tan (11 September 2020). "Eighteen vie for Miss Grand Malaysia 2020 title". cj.my. Archived from the original on 18 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
5. Berkat Prima (21 January 2021). "9 Pesona Jasebel Robert, Miss Grand Malaysia 2020 yang Stunning" (in Indonesian). Archived from the original on 18 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
6. June Toyat (6 May 2019). "Mel Dequanne Abar wins Miss Grand Malaysia 2019 title". The Borneo Post. Archived from the original on 18 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
7. Margaret Ringgit (3 May 2019). "Sabahan crowned Miss Grand Malaysia 2019". www.newsarawaktribune.com.my. Archived from the original on 18 March 2024.
8. Allan Jay (17 February 2020). "24 vie for Miss Grand Malaysia crown". New Sarawak Tribune. Archived from the original on 18 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
9. Thomas Tan (28 February 2020). "Cheer for Miss Grand Selangor 2020 finalists at press party". cj.my. Archived from the original on 18 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
10. "Miss Grand Malaysia 2020 Pageant Weeks and Final Coronation". Miss Grand Malaysia. 5 October 2020. Archived from the original on 19 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
11. "With regret to inform, due to unforeseen circumstances the final coronation of Miss Grand Malaysia 2020 will be taking place on 30 January 2021". Miss Grand Malaysia. 6 January 2021. Archived from the original on 19 March 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
12. "Miss Grand Malaysia's National Costume Inspired by the Legendary Mak Yong Primadonna, Khatijah Awang". www.pamper.my. 17 March 2021. Archived from the original on 18 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
13. May Vin Ang (29 March 2021). "Malaysia Makes Top 10 & Wins Miss Popular Vote At Miss Grand Internationals". says.com. Archived from the original on 18 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
14. "Malaysia Makes Top 10 & Wins Miss Popular Vote At Miss Grand International 2020". www.flyfm.audio. 29 March 2021. Archived from the original on 18 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
15. "Architecture student wins Miss Grand Selangor 2020". news.utar.edu.my. 3 August 2020. Archived from the original on 18 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
16. Thomas Tan (31 July 2020). "Architecture student crowned Miss Grand Selangor 2020". cj.my. Archived from the original on 18 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
17. Thomas Tan (23 March 2020). "18-year-old Melissa is crowned Miss Grand KL 2020". cj.my. Archived from the original on 18 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.
18. Thomas Tan (22 February 2020). "14 finalists unveiled for Miss Grand KL 2020". cj.my. Archived from the original on 18 March 2024. Retrieved 18 March 2024.

External links

• Media related to Miss Grand Malaysia at Wikimedia Commons