SHAH ALAM – TikToker turned beauty queen Viru Nikah Terinsip had her title revoked following public outrage over a controversial holiday video.
Despite issuing a public apology via a 53-second video on her TikTok account @_duyung.darat, the 24-year-old winner of last year's Unduk Ngadau Johor has been stripped of her title by the Kadazandusun Cultural Association (KDCA).
According to a report by English daily The Star, the matter was confirmed by KDCA president Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan.
Kitingan was reported saying that such behaviour was uncalled for in a beauty queen who was supposed to represent the spirit of Huminodun, a mythological maiden who has the total beauty of heart, mind and soul.
"We were made to understand that she went on a private holiday with her family to Thailand. We do silly things and get carried away when holidaying.
"If the video did not go viral, no one would know it happened.
"This would not be an issue if she was just an ordinary person, but she is an Unduk Ngadau (beauty queen) and a public figure.
"There were a lot of mixed reactions, some saw the humour in her video, some sympathised, others were unhappy and complained. We (KDCA) do not want to be the target and attract unnecessary attention.
"We hope that she will accept this decision well. Let this serve as a warning to all Unduk Ngadaus to not repeat the mistake," he was reported as saying.
The Unduk Ngadau is a cultural beauty pageant that was one of the main features of the Kaamatan (harvest) festival in Sabah.
In the video that received backlash from the public, Viru was seen interacting with several male dancers' suggestive dance while on vacation in Thailand.
It was understood that KDCA central had proposed to KDCA Johor to strip Viru’s title following the controversial video, the report said.
In her apology video, Viru who is a content creator and entrepreneur indicated that she would humbly accept if her title was revoked.
She also apologised over her carelessness in posting such a video.