Angel Chong of the DAB, who represents Sai Kung, said on Wednesday that her entry was initially aimed at raising public awareness of district council work.
The announcement of her withdrawal, made on social media, came just a day after she was spotted among pageant entrants going through the first round of interviews at TVB in Tseung Kwan O.
“I had hoped to make use of this opportunity to raise public awareness of the work [of district councillors], create a better social media communication platform and attract more people to participate in community building,” Chong wrote.
But she found, after looking through media reports and comments, that participating in the pageant was an approach that “might not be accepted by everyone”.
“This incident has had a certain impact on perceptions of district councils, which is something we don’t wish to see,” she said.
“In the end, we think there’s a need to protect the image of district councils based on public knowledge, stay true to our aspirations, and follow our heart.
“I have decided not to continue in the Miss Hong Kong Pageant.”
Chong was appointed as a district councillor by the government after the 2023 election, becoming the youngest member in the current term.
