MSIP responses to Habu’s statement

The Miss Solomon Islands Beauty Pageant over night replied to 2019/2020 Miss Solomon Islands Gladys Habu. Below is their full response

Thank you Gladys Habu for your response to the committee’s letter of 15th April 2021 advising you of our decision to end your reign as Miss Solomon Islands.

For our public’s background information, the Miss Solomon Islands Beauty Pageant (as it was previously called) was an adhoc event that neither individual, nor organization was responsible for until Solomon Host took it on in 2014 with the agreement of SI Visitors Bureau management and Permanent Secretary of Ministry of Culture and Tourism back then. Solomon Host rebranded the event as Miss Solomon Islands Pageant (MSIP) omitting the word ‘Beauty’ to reflect the fact that beauty is more than just a pretty face. MSIP is purely a non-profit making body as funds provided for by sponsors are directly managed by contestants and their teams and some including gate-takings are normally used for all event costs including the participation of Miss Solomon Islands at the prestigious Miss Pacific Islands pageant (MPIP). Even to participate in MPIP is a whole new ball game, requiring almost half a million dollars to attend and participate (depending on the location, distance and currency of the host country). At this point we would like to sincerely thank all our sponsors, the government and all our supporters for their support for MSIP over the years. Despite our challenges, MSIP under the auspices of Solomon Host has been able to send a total of four (4) beautiful Miss Solomon Islands to MPIP including Ms. Habu over the past 5 years.

With regard to Ms. Habu’s response, we wish to highlight some areas that needed correction and clarification;

1. Considering the background provided, and the lack of a consistent sponsor for MSIP over the years, the development of processes and procedures for MSIP are still evolving and hence it is expected that some documentation such as a formal contract between Miss Solomon Islands and MSIP were not in place upon Ms. Habu’s crowning. Despite the absence of a formal contract back then, we have been able to work in a cordial and respectful manner with former Miss Solomon Islands until the end of their reign. Any work program or projects are discussed openly together with the reigning queen and implemented together. The issue of a formal contract came up when Ms. Habu had to sign contracts with organizations she now works with. Unfortunately we have not been a party to any of Ms. Habu’s contracts as she was adamant she has no legal binding contract with us therefore she could do as she wish. We eventually stayed out and became bystanders as Ms. Habu continued on her own with her various engagements. So for her to state that she tried to offer us something and we refused is not only incorrect but misleading as we were never a party to her arrangements. It would have been a kind and positive gesture on Ms. Habu’s part if she had advised those organizations to involve MSIP in the first place being the focal point for Miss Solomon Islands over the years. We would never in any way stop her or any other former Miss Solomon Islands from being involved with any organization to do charity or commercial work, as long as they recognize the need to consider charities that MSIP work with. Despite of this, our main sponsors remain our priority, in this case Coral Seas Resort and Casino and SI Ports Authority. As a result of this principle, MSIP took the initiative in partnership with Honiara City council (HCC) to install a huge billboard at the HCC Roundabout for Coral Seas Resort to utilize and promote their property and Miss Solomon Islands. The billboard also has SI Ports and HCC logos on the bottom reflecting our partnership. This is MSIP way of thanking and acknowledging our major sponsors.

2. We never mentioned in our earlier statement that Ms. Habu was part of our decision to end her reign. It was a decision mutually agreed on by members of the MSIP committee only.

3. Ms. Habu need to admit and acknowledge that MSIP has played a huge part in elevating her work whether on a voluntarily or commercial basis. This would take some form of humility, a quality that we have struggled to see from Ms. Habu during her tenure as Miss Solomon Islands. Even to attend our events, we always had to literally beg Ms. Habu to accept our invitations, only to be told she has ‘other commitments’. We have never pushed this with her however, it would have been a real honor to have Miss Solomon Islands also readily available for Solomon Host Events as she was also our pride. Unfortunately we did not get to enjoy such privilege and were reduced to being observers only.

We regret that we had to come to this conclusion, however we strongly believe that the MSIP platform should be one that also groom strong, respectable yet humble young women who are adaptable to different situations and appreciating people who have spent their time, effort, resources, sleepless nights, hunger, stress and even loss of leisure time to enjoy with their families just to help them get to where they are. Not all instructions in life are written in black and white, some come from within one self, and require deep understanding in order to achieve any goals in life.

We continue to wish Ms. Habu all the best in her future endeavors and now wish to put this matter to rest.

MSIP Press