1.6m-tall lawyer is first S'porean crowned Mrs Petite Global, used to feel insecure about her height
Lawyer Madeleine Poh, 28, has become the first Singaporean to be crowned Mrs Petite Global in Kuala Lumpur on Jan 9.
Mrs Petite Global is an international competition celebrating married women, divorcees, widowed and single mothers under 168cm in height.
Madeleine, who is 160cm tall, said: "Winning the Mrs Petite Global 2025 pageant has been an incredible honour, and I am filled with gratitude for this amazing opportunity."
She also snagged eight subsidiary awards: Best in Sashing Ceremony Outfit, Social Media Popular Award, Social Media Influencer Award, Best in Sports Wear, Best in Evening Gown, Best in Interview, Best Catwalk Award and Popular Award.
Madeleine told Stomp: "Since I was young, I had always admired how the beauty pageant contestants are able to glide on stage with ease, advocate for their cause with confidence and carry themselves with elegance. I knew that I wanted to participate in at least one beauty pageant to experience it first-hand.
"However, it constantly did not seem like the right time to put myself out there due to external commitments and a lack of self-confidence in my physical appearance.
"Less than six months before I was slated to get married, I decided to take a leap of faith and researched about beauty pageants. That was when I realised that in order to participate in 'Miss' beauty pageants, I had to be single."
In 2023, she joined the Miss Singapore International and Miss Grand Singapore pageants, making it into the top six and winning several subsidiary awards.
Then came the wedding.
"I thought that my pageantry journey would come to an end because I was married and I am only 160cm," recalled Madeleine.
"Many beauty pageants seem to have a minimum height requirement for participation which I am not able to fulfil. Even when Miss Universe Singapore 2024 widened its criteria for participants, they introduced the minimum height requirement of 1.68m, which was disheartening.
"For a period of time, I felt insecure about my height, despite it never being an issue as my height is the average for female Singaporeans."
So she was thankful to discover Mrs Petite Global, which was established in 2021.
"I knew that this was the perfect platform for me to advocate for causes close to my heart, such as increasing access to legal justice, and inspire other women to pursue their dreams, regardless of their height and marital status," said the senior legal associate at Yeo & Associates law firm.
Married to an officer in the Ministry of Defence, Madeleine said of her husband: "He has been an incredible source of support throughout this entire journey. From cheering me on at every pageant to assisting with my preparations whenever he could, his unwavering belief in me has been invaluable."
She added: "I believe that every woman deserves the opportunity to shine, and I am eager to use my voice and platform to make a positive impact in the community."
View more photos in the gallery.
