GEORGE TOWN: Penangite Dheper Reshaa Teh hopes to make Malaysia proud when she finally gets to compete in the Miss Teen Universe 2021 pageant early next year.International aim: Dheper hopes to make the country proud when she competes in the Miss Teen Universe 2021 pageant.

       The event was originally scheduled to take place in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on Nov 6, but has since been pushed back to Jan 7 next year owing to the Covid-19 situation there.

       Though a tad disappointed by the postponement, Dheper realised it was a blessing in disguise as this would afford her more time to prepare, and a better chance of bringing something back home.

       “Nothing comes easy in life and I have to work hard for it,” said the 19-year-old business student, who intends to promote Malaysia’s unique multi-culturalism on the world stage.

       “Not every country is blessed to have people of different ethnic backgrounds living together in harmony. And even among those that do, it’s not truly celebrated.

       “In Malaysia, we practise a variety of distinct cultures in our daily lives, yet we partake in each other’s festivals as if they were our own. Foreigners find all of this quite intriguing,” she added.

       Being of mixed Chinese and Indian heritage herself, Dheper knows its virtues first hand. Some of her fondest memories include celebrating Chinese New Year and Deepavali at both of her grandparents’ homes.

       The INTI International College Penang student is also multilingual – she speaks Mandarin and Tamil in addition to Bahasa Melayu and English, something she sees as an advantage in life.

       Her father Sandran Mogan Teh, 46, owns a spare parts business while her mother Tanuja Kumar, 45, is a make-up artist.

       Dheper also has two older brothers.

       She shared that her interest in fashion started when she was about four years old. She dreamt of being featured on magazine covers and wanted to be Miss World or Miss Universe Malaysia.

       “I also got into sports in primary and secondary school. But I soon realised that it wasn’t something I was truly passionate about, so I decided to follow my heart and go into modelling instead,” she explained.

       She competed in the Miss Teen Malaysia 2021 selection earlier this year and beat contestants from all other states to win a spot in the international finale.

       But for Dheper, it is about more than just winning a crown.

       She sees it as a platform to highlight important social issues and stand up for those who do not have a voice such as people living with HIV.

       “Society, unfortunately, still views them (negatively) with the mindset that HIV is a stigma even though many get infected with the disease unknowingly, such as a newborn from his or her mother, or a person through sexual contact with a partner who wasn’t aware that he was HIV positive.

       “There is also the misconception that HIV can be transmitted through sharing of food or merely coming into contact with someone positive. This is why I’d like to use my voice to raise more awareness on this issue.

       “I cannot change the world on my own, but I can influence others to do so,” Dheper added.