Malaysia has another reason to celebrate as Taanusiya Chetty made history by finishing as second runner-up at Miss World 2026, held in Nha Trang, Vietnam. The 26-year-old educator and activist secured a place among the top three after competing against 110 other contestants, matching Lina Teoh’s achievement at Miss World 1998 as Malaysia’s best-ever result at the prestigious pageant.
But Taanusiya’s achievement goes beyond the crown and the glamour. Throughout her Miss World journey, she demonstrated that beauty can be accompanied by intelligence, purpose and a strong commitment to the community.
Beauty With A Purpose Wins Her A Spot In The Top Six
One of the biggest highlights of Taanusiya’s journey was winning the Beauty With A Purpose (BWAP) segment. This important Miss World recognition celebrates contestants for their community projects and social impact. Her victory in the segment helped her advance into the Top Six.
Through her community initiative, Be The Change Malaysia, Taanusiya has worked on programmes focused on education, emotional development and community outreach. Her efforts have included art workshops for autistic youths and visits to paediatric leukaemia patients, with her programmes reportedly reaching around 8,000 children and raising RM60,000 through community initiatives.
Her work reflects the idea that a beauty queen can use her platform to create opportunities and make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
A Voice For Malaysia
Taanusiya also stood out for her academic and professional background as a secondary English school teacher, model, and activist. She is fluent in Bahasa Melayu, English, Mandarin and Tamil, allowing her to represent Malaysia’s multicultural identity on the international stage.
Her multilingual ability gained widespread attention during the Miss World Head-to-Head Challenge, where she delivered an empowering message in all four languages. Her message focused on becoming the change one wants to see, reflecting her belief that meaningful change begins with individuals and communities.
Bringing Malaysian Heritage To The World
Fashion was another important part of Taanusiya’s Miss World journey. She represented Malaysian creativity through numerous outfits prepared by local designers, while her national costume, “The Pearl of Borneo”, celebrated the beauty of Borneo’s marine ecosystem and its precious pearls.
The costume was created by Arma Couture, with fabric by Sayang Batique, and featured textures, beads and pearls inspired by the movement of ocean waves and the beauty of Borneo’s seas. It offered an opportunity to showcase Malaysia’s natural heritage and fashion talent to an international audience.
For the evening gown segment, Taanusiya also looked elegant in a pink creation by Vietnamese designer Minh Tuan Couture, adding another memorable fashion moment to her competition journey.
An Achievement That Inspires Malaysians
Taanusiya’s second-runner-up finish is more than a personal achievement. It marks one of Malaysia’s strongest performances in the history of Miss World and once again places a Malaysian woman among the world’s leading beauty queens.
From being an educator who works with children to becoming an advocate for community development, Taanusiya has shown that the Miss World platform can be used to represent much more than beauty. Her journey sends an inspiring message to young Malaysians, education, confidence, culture and compassion can stand alongside beauty, and success becomes more meaningful when it is used to uplift others.
