APIA – Samoa’s Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, has blasted Miss Pacific Islands, Latafale Auva’a, for choosing the Miss World Pageant over the regional one.

The Miss Pacific Islands pageant is being held in the Cook Islands from December 11 to 12 – the Miss World pageant is being held in China on December 19.

The 133 contestants in the Miss World event– including Auva’a – are required to arrive a month before, to prepare. It means she will not be able to attend the Miss Pacific Islands event to hand over the crown.

“The only pageant that our Miss was supposed to contest in is the Pacific Islands one,” Tuilaepa said. “But to go on the world stage is a waste of time.”

According to Tuilaepa, Miss Pacific Islands should get her priorities right.

“The Miss Pacific is to promote Samoa and the other Pacific islands,” he said. “But to jump up onto the world stage is just wanting too much. It is common practice for us to leave what we are capable of and to reach for something that we are nowhere near accomplishing.

“All you get is embarrassment,” he said.

The prime minister, who is also the minister of tourism, said he planned to talk to the organising committee, to advise Auva’a to prioritise attending the Miss Pacific Islands pageant.

But that might be too late. Contacted for a comment by the Samoa Observer, Auva’a was not about to change her mind.

“All I can say is that I’m going,” she said. The decision was approved by the Miss Pacific Islands Board, she added.

Looking back, Tuilaepa recalled that the Miss Pacific pageant was originally run by the private sector until the government stepped in. He remembered in 1995, when the Pageant was held in Tonga, for about five years in a row, Samoa came last.

“When the government started handling it again, we started winning year after year,” said Tuilaepa.

“Back then, we also decided that the winner should work with Samoa Tourism Authority so she could learn and get used to how she could promote our island.

“But I am shocked to hear about Ms Auva’a’s decision.”

Auva’a said a fundraising dinner to help fund her bid for the Miss World title had been postponed. Funding and sponsorship for her trip to China is being organised in New Zealand.

In terms of clothing, Auva’a sees the Miss World pageant as an opportunity to promote Pacific island designers.

Her main evening dress is designed by Samoan designer Afa Ah Loo, who recently presented designs at the Fiji Fashion week.

Clothing has also been sponsored by TAV Pacific and Mahealani.

Auva’a is currently in Auckland for a week and a half to do promotional work and get beauty products. From there, she travels on to China.

Recent modeling photos of Auva’a are on social media, taken with Samoan scenery in the background. The Miss World hopeful wants to build the country’s reputation going into the competition.

She hopes to make it into the top 20 finalists. And if nothing comes of it, she will return to university to complete her final year in her Bachelor of Law degree. She has just completed a music degree.

To take part in the Miss World pageant is an incredible opportunity: “I never do things half-heartedly, so I’m all in this. I guess the whole year has been training for me in preparing me to go to this pageant.”

The Miss Pacific Islands crown is to be presented to the winner by her predecessor, Miss Pacific Islands Teuira Napa of the Cook Islands.

- Samoa Observer