THE long, winding path of life often brings joy and unexpected experiences. For Sapphire Wong, these have taught her that short-term sacrifices can bring long-term benefits.
Now 33 and a mother of three, Wong continues to embrace lessons she never knew she needed. Her latest journey has brought her back to the pageant stage — not simply to relive an old passion, but to rediscover herself as a woman, a mother and an individual with a purpose beyond herself.
Having won Miss Cheongsam Malaysia in 2015, judged numerous pageants and walked countless runways, Wong is returning to competition after almost a decade. This time, she is a finalist in Miss Universe Malaysia.
“Back then, many had asked me to join that pageantry, and this pageantry, but I had just won Miss Cheongsam and was overwhelmed with everything. However, now, I have decided to participate in Miss Universe Malaysia because I feel that I am more confident now,” said Wong.
With age, Wong said she had also gained greater wisdom through the experiences she had gone through. She added that competing in Miss Universe required contestants to know themselves fully as it was a major platform where they represented Malaysia to the world.
For Wong, pageantry has always been a passion. Her interest began after learning that her auntie was crowned third runner-up for Miss Malaysia in 1985.
“When she put the sash on me later on, I felt immense pride. She also taught me how to wave and how to walk. That’s when pageantry turned into a dream, and that dream turned into a lifetime goal.”
Learning to be selfless
A year after winning Miss Cheongsam Malaysia, Wong became pregnant with her first child, beginning a new chapter that would change her perspective as a woman.
She welcomed her eldest daughter in 2017 and, over the following years, became a mother of three. Through motherhood, Wong said she learned the true meaning of selfless love.
“As a mother, with anything I do, when you have children who look up to you with their sparkling eyes, they are constantly watching you as you complete their world. I must say that the difference between how it changed me as a person is that as a mother, I learned selflessness.”
Despite this, Wong believes a mother should never lose sight of the woman she was before taking on the title of ‘mother’. As a woman with ambitions and goals, she believes every woman has her own potential and purpose in life.
“As a mother and a woman, you have so much to give not only to the children but also to yourself, and to the community around you. I believe that everyone has a dream, a light in them. They just have to switch it on. Whatever you want to be, do it with determination regardless of any circumstances.”
In her pursuit of becoming ‘Sapphire Wong’, she once considered letting go of the woman she was before motherhood. Instead, she decided to take a leap of faith.
Yet, when she is needed, her first and foremost role will always be that of a mother, with her children remaining her priority.
Through the journey, she has also learned the importance of time management and resilience. It is a delicate balance — staying true to herself while remaining present for her children.
For Wong, motherhood did not mean losing herself. It meant adapting, growing and learning how to be both a mother and the woman she has always been.
The unavoidable
Routine and roles aside, the Miss Universe Malaysia finalist also revealed that the physical changes her body underwent were another significant part of her journey through motherhood.
With drastic changes being a normal part of the post-partum period, Wong said this was a phase every mother went through.
For herself, she maintained a careful diet and took great care during her confinement months. She regarded it as a delicate period and, looking back, said she tried to follow traditional practices because she believed they were important for her health.
Nevertheless, Wong said she was now more confident in her own skin than ever, knowing that her body had carried and brought three children into the world.
“And I know they love me, that is why I love my body the way it is more than ever, despite the changes it has gone through.”
Wong also encouraged others to be thankful for their bodies, as she had learned to be. “We should be kinder to ourselves and appreciate the bodies that carry us through life — whether nurturing new life or growing old with us,” she said.
Beauty with a purpose
This year, Miss Universe Malaysia extended its age limit for women to 50. Under its theme ‘Legacy Reimagined’, the change represents a shift towards greater inclusivity and modernisation, moving away from traditional beauty pageant restrictions.
By removing the age barrier, the pageant aims to provide women from diverse backgrounds with an opportunity to continue shining with confidence. For Wong, the platform also offers an opportunity to create a positive impact on society.
Of Chinese-Iban descent, Wong believes beauty goes beyond physical appearance. To her, it is also reflected in qualities such as confidence, kindness and the way one carries oneself.
Through her participation in Miss Universe Malaysia this year, Wong hopes to use the platform to advocate for underprivileged children.
“But advocating for underprivileged children is not something new to me. Since young, I have always been doing missionary work through Living Waters Village Borneo in Indonesia with my father. Later on, I went aboard Living Waters in Cambodia myself. Because of that, I have such a tender and soft spot for children who are mistreated by people they trust,” she said.
As an adult, Wong believes that if she wants to see change tomorrow, she has to be willing to be that change today.
Through her advocacy, she hopes more underprivileged children will one day have the opportunity to experience a healthy and happy childhood, knowing that they are the next generation who will shape Malaysia’s future.
For now, her return to the pageant stage is more than simply a return to a passion she has carried since childhood. It is also a journey of rediscovering herself — this time, as a woman, a mother and an individual with a purpose beyond herself.
Inspired by her auntie’s appearance on the pageant stage in 1985, Wong’s own journey has now come full circle. Decades later, she finds herself stepping onto the same stage, carrying with her the experiences that have shaped the woman she is today.
She is no longer the young woman she once was. She is a mother of three, a woman with ambitions of her own, and someone who hopes to use her voice and platform for a greater purpose.
And perhaps this time, she is not stepping onto the stage to become someone new, but to embrace the woman she has become.
