Miss Asia Malaysia 2023 winner Luwe Xin Hui can proceed with enforcing a court order for a condominium worth RM1.48 million (about S$464,000) after the Malaysian High Court rejected the pageant organiser’s attempt to delay the award while it appeals the ruling.
High Court judge Datuk Arik Sanusi Yeop Johari dismissed an application by Asia Television Digital Media (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd to stay the execution of an earlier judgment in Luwe’s favour.
The judge said the beauty queen should not be made to wait any longer for the grand prize she was promised after winning the competition in 2023.
Court Orders Condo Transfer or Cash Payment
The dispute centres on a condominium unit at Picasso Residence on Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, valued at RM1.48 million.
On Jan. 29, the High Court granted Luwe summary judgment and ordered the pageant organiser to transfer and register the property in her name.
The company was also ordered to hand over vacant possession and the keys to the unit.
It must additionally cover the relevant costs, stamp duty and legal expenses connected with the transfer.
If the transfer cannot be completed, the court ordered the company to instead pay Luwe RM1.48 million in cash, equivalent to the value of the promised condominium. The company was also ordered to pay RM5,000 in legal costs.
Prize Remained Unpaid Two Years After Her Win
Luwe was crowned ATV Miss Asia Malaysia 2023 in September 2023.
However, according to the court’s findings, she had still not received the promised grand prize when she filed her lawsuit in 2025.
In his grounds of judgment, Justice Arik said the company had failed, refused or neglected to deliver the prize despite Luwe having been declared the competition’s champion.
The judge therefore found that she was entitled to enforce the value of the prize that had been represented and promised to her by the organiser.
The ruling gave the company two ways to satisfy the judgment: complete the transfer of the condominium or pay its RM1.48 million value in cash.
Organiser Sought to Put Judgment on Hold
Asia Television Digital Media subsequently filed an application seeking a stay of execution, which would have prevented Luwe from enforcing the judgment while the company’s appeal was being considered.
The company argued that the condominium was still registered under the name of its developer, Premier De Muara Sdn Bhd.
It said transferring the property to Luwe would require several procedural steps and involve additional costs and expenses.
The organiser also argued that if it were forced to pay Luwe RM1.48 million in cash and later succeeded in its appeal, it could face difficulties recovering the money.
The company filed its notice of appeal on Feb. 26.
Judge Rejects Company’s Arguments
Justice Arik rejected the request for a stay, finding that the company’s concerns did not amount to the “special circumstances” required to suspend enforcement of the judgment.
In particular, he rejected the argument that the company could potentially have difficulty recovering the RM1.48 million if it eventually won its appeal.
The judge considered that concern speculative.
He also rejected the argument that allowing Luwe to enforce the judgment would make the appeal meaningless.
If the company ultimately succeeds in its appeal, the judge said it could seek to recover the RM1.48 million from Luwe.
In other words, the possibility of an eventual reversal did not justify making the winner wait indefinitely for a prize that the court had already ruled she was entitled to receive.
Luwe Can Now Move to Enforce the Award
The latest ruling does not itself mean that Luwe has already received the condominium or the cash equivalent.
Rather, it allows her to proceed with enforcement of the January judgment while the organiser’s appeal continues.
The company remains entitled to pursue its appeal through the legal process.
However, the rejected stay application means the earlier order is not suspended simply because an appeal has been filed.
That leaves the organiser facing the requirement to either complete the transfer of the Picasso Residence unit or satisfy the judgment through the RM1.48 million cash alternative, subject to the ongoing legal proceedings.
A Long-Running Dispute Over a Pageant Prize
The dispute has stretched across several years since Luwe’s victory in 2023.
What began as a pageant prize has since become a court battle over whether the organiser must deliver the specific condominium promised to the winner or provide its equivalent monetary value.
The case also illustrates the legal consequences that can arise when prizes advertised as part of competitions are not delivered as promised.
For Luwe, the High Court’s latest decision removes one more obstacle to enforcing the judgment.
She can now pursue the RM1.48 million prize while the organiser’s appeal remains pending.
The High Court’s message was clear: the existence of an appeal, without sufficient special circumstances, was not enough to require the pageant winner to wait even longer for the prize she won in 2023.
