Taanusiya Chetty, 26, represented Malaysia at the 73rd Miss World pageant held on September 5, 2026, in Nha Trang, Vietnam. She earned the position of second runner-up, placing third overall among 111 contestants from around the world [1, 2, 3, 4, 5].
Joheirry Mola Dominguez of the Dominican Republic was crowned Miss World 2026, with Elisabeth Reynes Alabern of Spain finishing as first runner-up [1, 2, 3, 4]. Chetty’s third-place finish matches Malaysia’s best-ever result at Miss World, last achieved by Lina Teoh in 1998 [2, 4, 5]. Other notable Malaysian finalists include Rahimah Orchient Yayah, who placed in the top 10 in 1994, and Deborah Henry, who reached the top 16 in 2007 [4, 5].
Throughout the competition, Chetty stood out with a multilingual performance showcasing her ability to speak English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil, combined with a traditional silat martial arts demonstration [4, 5]. Prior to the final event, she captured attention with her Head-to-Head Challenge video released on August 23, where her four-language speech went viral [4].
Chetty also received the Beauty With A Purpose award, recognition for her social and environmental advocacy work [4, 5]. She emphasized the importance of youth involvement in environmental stewardship, saying, "I would influence students to plant trees at a very young age. Because that is also a responsibility for them to understand how a plant can take time to grow from the seeds they planted... I want to be that sort of teacher who offers the students... the seeds they planted take time to grow" [1].
The final competition narrowed the field through several stages, moving from the top 40, then top 20, top 12, and top 6 finalists, before the question-and-answer round determined the final placements [1, 3].
The Miss World 2026 pageant concluded yesterday in Vietnam, with Taanusiya Chetty securing a historic and celebrated finish for Malaysia.
