The newly crowned Miss Indonesia Kerenina Sunny Halim might have amazed people with her fluent English, but surprised just as many with her poor ability to speak Indonesian. On the final night of the Miss Indonesia pageant last week, Kerenina needed a translator to help her understand the judges' questions. Kerenina admits this is a weakness but has promised to improve her Indonesian language skills.

Your comments:

I guess she should have been crowned as "Miss Out of Indonesia". Pity.

Sisca

This is very silly. After we had Nadine, who mentioned Indonesia was a beautiful city, now we have Karenina who has very limited knowledge of Indonesia. How impressive?

Shame on us, if the Miss World's judges notice this. Culture is a heritage handed down from our ancestors, what is the use of learning it in six months? Indonesia is rich in culture, a whole lifetime may not even be long enough to really understand or acquire our culture, but she would?

As she was homeschooled, how is she going to manage the social aspects? It's not only about giving, but also about socializing with others, having friends. Poor Indonesia.

Chika

I am just speechless. What on earth went through the judges' minds to have chosen a Miss Indonesia who couldn't speak Indonesian? That is definitely one of the stupidest things I had ever heard in my life!

And worse, she admitted she didn't know anything of Indonesian culture and thought the Indonesian language was "easy". Let me tell you, Miss Kerenina, the Indonesian language is not easy if you want to speak it properly and with the correct grammar!

Indonesia has so many pretty girls who can speak Indonesian, and who are smart and intelligent, to be a representative of our beautiful and great country.

OK, maybe we haven't been lucky with our previous winners, but this year's winner really confirmed that this kind of competition is just an embarrassment to real Indonesian women. Judges, you should be ashamed of yourselves!

Mdns

How can this Miss Indonesia represent Indonesia if she cannot show that she has an Indonesian identity (I mean an ability to speak Bahasa Indonesia and to understand Indonesian culture)? She impressed the jury and Indonesian people's hearts just because she can speak English well and holds six diplomas? That is a pity.

Paramita

This is ridiculous! Come on, aren't we talking about an Indonesian representative here? We used to have Nadine Chandrawinata (Putri Indonesia) who didn't speak Indonesian and English fluently (she speaks German) and now we have Kerenina?

How could she feel she belongs to Indonesia when she can't even talk Indonesian (fluently)? I hope that next time the judges' eyes will not be blurred with the finalists' ability in English. Speaking English is important, I agree, but just look at past winners of Miss World or Miss Universe. Most of them didn't speak English fluently and needed translators whenever they traveled.

Vera Tobing

What a tragedy, a Miss Indonesia hardly speaks Bahasa Indonesia. What sort of message does this give? Just learn a foreign language, Bahasa Indonesia is a second-rate language, so speaks Spanish, Arabic and of course, English, but there is no need to be fluent in Bahasa Indonesia as everyone will support you anyway.

I do not know about the other criteria or the other contestants' abilities in speaking English, but I think to have a Miss Indonesia who hardly speaks Indonesia is really out of touch. Miss Indonesia is not how well one can articulate things in English or a matter of sending a candidate who speaks English well to the Miss Universe/World competition.

There followed a debate on whether or not she should wear a bikini ... ring a bell? This is usually the cycle of debate over Miss Indonesia. But this time, it has become a joke, as she does not speak Bahasa Indonesia. She said she will learn it quickly. Let's see. Maybe we should have a president of Indonesia who does not speak Bahasa Indonesia?

Maria Pakpahan

Sorry, but this cannot be serious. Why would you send someone to represent your country although she doesn't even speak the language or know the country well? "Promise to learn?" That's not good enough.

This is absurd! Just because the previous one lost because she didn't speak English at all (as in "Indonesia is a beautiful city"), does not mean that now you should choose someone who speaks English fluently, but Indonesian not at all!

I know it's only a beauty contest, but please, be reasonable. The judges should get their criteria straight. And I have had enough of this half-foreigner and foreigner (bule) soap opera actors (pemain sinetron), models, beauty contestants thing. When are we going to be proud that we have darker skin and other Indonesia features that are also beautiful?

Hilds

If being able to speak Indonesian and knowledge of our culture are not necessary, why didn't the judges just pick a much prettier and smarter foreign woman, give her an Indonesian passport and make her Miss Indonesia?

Shame on you judges, for picking an ignorant person (she's a teacher?) who wasn't the least interested in learning about her own heritage until now.

Yes, fluency in English is a must, but being home schooled and only using English at home should not be made excuses to dismiss the country you actually LIVE in. The moral of this story is: ignorance pays.

Imelda

A person will represent Indonesia although she doesn't know much about Indonesia and is not fluent in Bahasa Indonesia? I think the judges have put "fluent in English" as their highest scoring category for becoming Miss Indonesia. Useful information for the next participants in the Miss Indonesia pageant.

Eliza Kharisma

Popular

RI, Australia strengthen partnership on taxing crypto assets

Analysis: Indonesia denies normalization with Israel to enter OECD

Citroen to produce electric cars in Indonesia