Made Arya Kencana, Denpasar – Despite mounting calls by state officials and mass organizations for the upcoming Miss World beauty pageant to be canceled, Bali Governor I Made Mangku Pastika voiced his support for the event, arguing that it will present Bali and the whole of Indonesia in a positive light.
"What is wrong with the Miss World [pageant]? What are the reasons behind the protests and objections?" Pastika asked on Monday. He said that the contest would be conducted in line with his island's customs and not be a showcase for indecent displays of the female figure.
"[Participants] will follow our ethics and procedures. They will also act in accordance with Balinese tradition and culture," he said. "The Miss World pageant will not bring any losses to Bali or Indonesia."
It will, instead, he said, boost Bali's, and by extension Indonesia's, international reputation. "For Bali, the event could act as a free promotion. The [contest] could lead to economic benefits and encourage tourism to the country," he said.
The Miss World contest has drawn criticism from the hard-line Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and the more moderate Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI).
An MUI official said the group opposed the event because exposing a woman's body violated Islamic teachings. He said the decision by contest organizers to exclude the traditional bikini contest did not overcome the problem as contestants will still be required to wear tight dresses that showed their curves.
The FPI has also vowed to disrupt the event, which is scheduled to include a gathering in Bali before the main ceremony on Sept. 28 at the Sentul International Convention Center in Bogor, West Java.
Suryadharma Ali, Indonesia's Minister of Religious Affairs, and Maneger Nasution, an official at the National Human Rights Commission (Komnas HAM), also condemned the contest as not being compatible with Islamic teachings and for putting women's bodies on display.
Pastika, meanwhile, dismissed concerns that the contestants will expose their aurat, or body parts that are supposed to be clothed as stipulated by Islam, as illogical.
Echoing the governor's sentiments, dozens of college students and youths in Bali held a demonstration in Denpasar on Monday in support of the pageant.
"We don't think the MUI should meddle [in this issue]," Gede Mas Megantara, a protest coordinator, said. "Such an attitude is against the principles of [Indonesia's state ideology] Pancasila."
The protestors also asked for security officials to ensure that the event runs smoothly.