Indonesia axes Miss World bikinis

Miss World organisers have axed bikinis from this year’s pageant in Indonesia, replacing them with beach sarongs amid mounting protests from hardline Muslim groups.

The 2013 competition is being hosted int the resort island of Bali and the capital, Jakarta, in September.

All contestants will be required to wear Bali’s traditional long sarongs instead of the bikinis that are traditionally part of the competition, said Adjie Soeratmadjie, one of the local organisers.

He said the London-based Miss World Organisation has agreed to the request out of respect for the traditional customs and values of Indonesia.

Most Muslims in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Islamic country, are moderate, but a small extremist fringe has become more vocal in recent years.