Taanu thanks Malaysians for fuelling her success at Miss World pageant
Taanusiya Chetty, who finished third at Miss World 2026 and was crowned Miss Asia last night has described her victory in the pageant as a special gift for all Malaysians.
The 26-year-old Kuala Lumpur native, who is known as Taanu, said the continuous moral support and prayers from Malaysians was the main weapon behind her success in matching a feat achieved 28 years ago.
“Thank you to all Malaysians who have supported me throughout this Miss World competition in Vietnam. I am very grateful that I could make history a second time for our beloved country,” she said after her victory. “Twenty-eight years ago, we also won 2nd runner-up position. After so long, this is another history for our country. Thank you, Malaysia, for supporting and believing in me.”
Joheirry Mola Dominguez of the Dominican Republic was crowned Miss World while Elisabeth Reynes Alabern of Spain secured second place.
Taanusiya qualified for the top six after winning the Beauty With A Purpose segment, one of the most important components of the competition. Taanusiya will join Dominguez in travelling around the world to carry out various humanitarian and related duties.
Appearing in a pink dress designed by Vietnamese fashion designer Minh Tuan Couture, Taanusiya impressed the judges during the top-six question-and-answer round with her response on the responsibility to protect the environment.
Drawing on her experience as a teacher, she highlighted the importance of cultivating environmental awareness from an early age through tree-planting activities, teaching children the values of growth, patience and responsibility.
“Because that is also a responsibility for them to believe how the plant can take time to grow from the seeds they planted. And imagine walking a path with full of thunderstorms and you don’t have anyone to offer you an umbrella.
“But I want to be that sort of teacher who offers the students, no matter what background they are, the seeds they planted take time to grow. And when you do that, you will influence many other people around the world,” she said.
Taanusiya’s third-place finish matched Malaysia’s best achievement, previously set by Lina Teoh in 1998, returning the country to the world’s top three after a 28-year wait.
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