A MALAYSIAN events promoter could soon find himself in the soup for using the pictures of a prominent UK teenage beauty queen to advertise his company's online beauty pageant.
Parents who have seen the advertisement have raised concerns about the overtly sexual manner in which the contest is being promoted, and now, the teenage beauty queen has come forward to say that she is not connected to the Miss Teen Malaysia contest.
The event's organisers had been promoting the contest on Facebook with the event website featuring 30 Asian teenagers, 12 of whom are listed as being younger than 16.
The website includes the contestants' vital statistics, including their bra sizes, causing concern among parents that paedophiles might be attracted to the contest.
The Malay Mail contacted the beauty pageant organisers on the pretext of being a potential sponsor.
Malay Mail's editor-at-large, Mr Frankie D'Cruz, met Australian Khaled Aban and his Malaysian partner Alan Chow, and asked them if they felt the event was being promoted in an overtly sexual manner.
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The event's marketing material links to the website of UK teen beauty pageant regular Sophie Watson, with pictures in which she is skimpily attired or appears to be removing her clothes.
Brushing aside Mr D'Cruz's objections, Mr Khaled allegedly asked: "So, are you in or out? We have other sponsors to meet."
A worried parent, Mr Kularaja Mahendran, an accountant, alerted the Malay Mail when his 16-year-old daughter asked for his permission to enter the contest.
Sophie Watson has created concern among UK parents after she told Britain's Daily Mail that she had sex with four boys in six months, with her mother's blessing.
The 14-year-old model, who has her nose and navel pierced, has tattoos on her wrist and tummy, even though Britain's legal age for getting a tattoo is 18.
When contacted on Monday about her involvement in the Malaysian beauty contest and the use of her photos in the contest promotion, Sophie said: "I have no idea...no connection at all (with anyone in Malaysia)".
She said her manager would be following up on the matter.
When asked for a response, Mr Chow said he had been planning on contacting Sophie for her consent.
He also claims to have pulled out of his partnership in the Miss Teen Malaysia contest.
"I made a mistake and am very sorry," he said, adding that all potential sponsors have pulled out of the event.
Mr Khaled could not be contacted by the Malay Mail.
This article was first published in The New Paper.