Asia-Pacific

Bikinis axed from Miss World contest in Indonesia

Organisers replace swimsuits with sarongs to respect traditional values in Muslim country

Finalists of the Miss England 2013 competition at Torre Abbey Sands, Torquay, in recent days. The winner of the contest, to be held later in June, will not wear an outfit such as the above for the Miss World contest in Indonesia. Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA Wire
Finalists of the Miss England 2013 competition at Torre Abbey Sands, Torquay, in recent days. The winner of the contest, to be held later in June, will not wear an outfit such as the above for the Miss World contest in Indonesia. Photograph: Ben Birchall/PA Wire
Thu Jun 06 2013 - 12:10

Miss World organisers have axed bikinis from this year's pageant in Indonesia, replacing them with conservative beach sarongs amid mounting protests from hardline Muslim groups.

The 2013 competition is being hosted in the resort island of Bali and the capital, Jakarta, in September.

All contestants will be required to wear Bali’s traditional long sarongs instead of the bikinis that are typically part of the competition, said Adjie Soeratmadjie, one of the local organisers.

He said the London-based Miss World Organisation had agreed to the request out of respect for the traditional customs and values of Indonesia.

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Most Muslims in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Islamic country, are moderate, but a small extremist fringe has become more vocal in recent years.

AP