Govt to Contestants: Wear Kebaya, Not Bikinis During Miss World

Denpasar. While it cannot technically prohibit Miss World contestants from donning bikinis during the event’s final in Bali, the Indonesian government has suggested that contestants wear kebaya or batik instead of skimpy swimsuits.
“We suggest that they not [wear bikinis],” Sapta Nirwanda, the deputy minister of tourism and creative economy, said on Friday. “But even if they do wear one, it should be in a closed room.”
Sapta said the government made a deal with the organizers of the Miss World competition to minimize bikini usage during the Bali event. If contestants must wear bikinis, Sapta said they should only be seen by the jury.
He suggested, however, that participants wear traditional Indonesian outfits instead.
Conservative Muslim groups have been criticizing the event as disrespectful to Indonesian values.
Abdusommad Bukhori, the chief of the East Java branch of the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI), said recently that as a Muslim country, Indonesia should not have anything to do with the event.
Sapta demanded that the controversy over bikinis end immediately.
“Those who are protesting are only seeking attention,” Sapta said. “We have been staging Miss Indonesia, Putri Indonesia and other beauty pageants for a long time.”
He added that the Miss World event should be used to promote Indonesian tourism.
“It is being broadcast in 170 countries, which means Indonesia will be seen by 170 countries,” he said.

Source : JakartaGlobe