Contestants in this year’s Miss Universe Indonesia competition have come forward to expose instances of alleged sexual harassment by local organizers. This revelation emerges amid reports of the same organizers crowning a winner in neighboring Malaysia, despite the pageant having been canceled by the U.S. umbrella group.
The Miss Universe Organization, headquartered in New York and responsible for the annual international beauty pageant, terminated its partnership with the Indonesian franchisee in August following allegations of misconduct. It was reported that approximately 30 contestants participating in Indonesia’s pageant had been subjected to unannounced and non-consensual “body checks” conducted by local organizers.
On August 1, just two days prior to the Grand Final, finalists were instructed to participate in what they believed to be a clothing fitting in a ballroom at a hotel in downtown Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. Lola Nadya Larasati Pasaribu, representing Bali in the competition, revealed that when she entered the partially enclosed wooden structure, there were about half a dozen individuals present, including both men and women. One of the women instructed her to undress completely, even removing her underclothes, and proceeded to take photographs of a tattoo on her body.
Pasaribu described the process as “highly demeaning to her dignity as a woman” and emphasized that the photo-taking and “body shaming” comments violated Indonesia’s social norms, being the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country. She also stated that she felt unable to object to the body check due to pressure and insistence from the organizers.
According to Mellisa Anggraini, the attorney representing Pasaribu and seven other contestants who provided testimonies to the police, the contestants were not informed about these body checks in advance. Pasaribu was one of five contestants whose photographs were taken using cell phones during the incident.
Indonesian authorities announced on August 29 that the case had transitioned from an initial inquiry to a full-fledged investigation, suggesting the presence of a criminal element in the matter.
In response to these disturbing allegations, the Miss Universe Organization severed its ties with the Indonesian franchisee, PT Capella Swastika Karya, and its founder, Poppy Capella. The organization emphasized the importance of contestants’ safety and stated that the events in Indonesia contradicted its values. The winner of this year’s Indonesia pageant, Fabienne Nicole Groeneveld, who did not file a complaint, was chosen to represent the country at the upcoming Miss Universe pageant in El Salvador.
Poppy Capella, overseeing Miss Universe Indonesia for the first time, firmly denied any involvement in the body checks, expressing her opposition to all forms of violence and sexual harassment. She maintained that she had no knowledge of or involvement in the alleged misconduct.
Additionally, the Miss Universe Organization declared the cancellation of this year’s Miss Universe Malaysia pageant, for which Capella held the license. Nevertheless, on August 27, Miss Universe Malaysia announced a winner, which came as a surprise to the Miss Universe Organization.
The organization clarified that, as of August 12th, there was no authorized director in Malaysia to conduct the pageant. Poppy Capella did not respond to inquiries via Instagram.
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The sexual harassment allegations have sent shockwaves through Indonesia and garnered condemnation from lawmakers. Ashabul Kahfi, chairman of a commission on women’s empowerment affairs in the Indonesian House of Representatives, stressed the need to uphold and respect the country’s cultural wisdom and religious values. He stated that such actions not only violated individual rights but also eroded people’s trust in the system meant to protect them.
