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No space outing but Roshini still has last laugh at the guys
.“The fact that two women made it, regardless of whichever nation they arefrom, proves that women are capable after all,” she said on her Facebook page on December 6.
Malaysian AXE-tronaut Rose ready for blast-off
When schoolchildren are asked “What are your dreams and ambitions?” you will hear many different answers: “I want to be an astronaut!” “I want to be Superman!”
However, when they are growing up many start to realise that the dreams they had would always remain impossible dreams. Ambitions to be Superman, astronauts and princesses were shelved and they carried on with life.
But is the impossible really unachievable?
We managed to interview Roshini Muniam, also known as Rose, a 27-year old postgraduate student from Universiti Malaya, who is also Malaysia’s representative at the AXE Apollo International Space Camp in Orlando, Florida. The plucky 27-year old is one of 60 candidates from around the world vying to be the first AXE-tronaut and go into space.
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Rose is now about to attend the AXE Apollo Space Camp, where the three challenges are Take Off, a flight in a L-39 Albatross MKII jet that travels at twice the speed of sound; Zeo G, a parabolic flight that recreates the weightlessness of space; and Re-Entry, a centrifuge machine that simulates the same extreme G-Force astronauts are exposed to during landing.
Preparing by going swimming and diving to build up her stamina, she will need to stand out from the group the 60 hopefuls, of which only 22 will be chosen to blast off into the stars.
Space camp winner Roshini impresses deputy minister – Bernama
Roshini Muniam, the woman who emerged as the winner of the Malaysian chapter of the AXE Apollo Space Academy contest, is a fine example of a youth who is unafraid to take on a challenge.
Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan said the 27-year-old Roshini has shown that with determination, nothing is impossible.
“She hails from a middle-class family, but she makes sure that it will not be a factor for her to achieve her dreams. She has proved to the world that when there’s a will, there’s a way.
“Now, we hope she will do her best when she joins the other 114 participants from around the world at the week-long Space Camp in Florida in the United States and win the chance to go to space,” Kamalanathan told reporters after meeting with Roshini at his office here today.
Only 22 successful candidates will be blasted more than 100km above the surface of the earth on a flight with international space agency Space Expedition Corporation (SXC) on 2014.
‘Ordinary’ Roshini aims for the stars
PUTRAJAYA: She describes herself as “just an ordinary person” but Roshini Muniam, 27, may be an official icon for Malaysian Indian students.
The postgraduate student from Universiti Malaya who beat 2,500 other participants to become Malaysia’s representative at the AXE Apollo Space Academy in Florida, the United States, met Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan yesterday.
Kamalanathan said he would send Roshini an official letter inviting her to be an icon for Malaysian Indian students on her return from Florida.
“She’s very passionate about what she is doing,” he said, adding that she was an example of a student who worked hard and overcame the odds to achieve her dream.
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Space Race winner Roshini dreams on
Roshini is now one step closer to realising her dreams.
Every time Roshini Muniam drove past a signboard advertising the Malaysian National Space Agency on her way home to Banting, near Klang, her dream of space adventure was rekindled.
Now she is one step closer to becoming the first Malaysian woman to go to space after being named the winner of Axe Deodorant’s Apollo Space Race online competition on Tuesday.
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She attributed her win to the netizens who supported her after The Malaysian Insider reported how trolls were taunting her online and she was determined not to cave in to the negative pressure.
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Now Roshini will start training to prepare for the space camp in Florida where she will join 114 participants from around the world. She will be there for a week in December.
While at the camp, Roshini will experience zero gravity and G-force, as well as co-piloting a jet plane.
The 24 winners will be sent more than 100km above the surface of the earth next year on a Lynx sub-orbital shuttle run by an international space agency. – September 26, 2013.
And today morning between 8-10am listen to THR Raaga (tentative).
Just some rambled thoughts to share 🙂
Yes, it’s official 😛 Thanks everyone, for the continuous support, the messages, the wall posts, the updates from twitter (really was that the Prime Minister’s tweet??!! LOL!!).
Most of all, I’d like to thank the event crew behind AXE MALAYSIA’s committee, from the Brand Manager Ms. Nikki & Event Manager Ms. Sham, to the whole Axe Space Race Event Crew who were so encouraging throughout the whole event, from the start till the end. They were even so thoughtful to especially prepare for me a goodie bag with Sunsillk instead of Axe’s product… specially for me… you know, it’s the small things that count :p
And the MOST VVVIP person I must thank is my very own sister, though so young as she is, she was the first person to suport me in this quest from the very beginning. Whilst many others ridiculed my interest in the contest at the beginning stage, my sister was the very first person who took it seriously. She kept saying, “I’m so gonna send my big sister to space!”. She taught me to stay cool & focus, and pointed out that if this was my dream, I should give it my all, whatever it takes; even enduring hurtful comments, or having my privacy taken away. She taught me to take criticism gracefully. She made me so thick-skinned (Tebal muka). Would you believe I was taking advice from my 20-year-old campaign manager?! Yes, my little sister is soooo COOL!! She is AWESOME!!
Many may think that I’m a KL city girl, and that’s why I’m so daring. Well, I have been working & living in KL for almost 3 years now. But I was born & bred in a small rural town, Banting, not too far off from the city of Kuala Lumpur. How rural is Banting? No cinemas, No shopping centres, and you still buy meat at a wet market. By chance, the National Space Agency (Agensi Angkasa Negara) is just a few kilometres away from my home. Since the beginning of its construction, Mom used to drive us pass it on weekends (jalan-jalan). My younger siblings were lucky they got to go in during the “Open Day” that the agency had, a few years ago.
Every time I go home, I have to pass the signboard that points in the direction of the Space Agency. And every time I see it, in my heart I used to think – well, if not in this life, I hope I will get to experience zero-gravity in my next life (if any). My point here: maybe the Theory of Law of Attraction really works?! To have gotten a chance, to have had a simple Youtube advertisement catch my attention, or I would have missed this whole thing in the first place……..
It’s at times like this when you learn a great deal about society, media, and the people around you, and most importantly, yourself. I have learnt so much in this eventful 1 month.
The most valuable lesson that I want to share with you is this:
Whatever or however silly, crazy, or impossible your dream is, let go of all the doubtfulness and give it a shot. You never know…. really, nobody knows, until you actually try. Of course, please take calculated risks, not blind ones!
I hope, in future, if there are any more competitions and opportunities like this, there would be a better mixture of gender and ethnicity. “Be the change you want to see in the world” 🙂
Here is my favourite poem that I take to heart; it’s my personal “bible”:
IF by RUDYARD KIPLING
IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ’em up with worn-out tools:
If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’
If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with Kings – nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!
So enough of me rambling here… Just wanted to share 🙂
Once again, thank you all for the help, support and encouragement :p
Roshini Muniam Rose | Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/roshini.muniam
“@KeluargaKilljoy: Rose Muniam has been chosen as Malaysia’s #axetronaut! GO TEAM #ROSE4SPACE! http://tmblr.co/ZzyikqvtHcl2 ” congratulations!!!!
Women in space being discussed on @BBCWomansHour – #astrogrrls, #Rose4Space and the history of women in space!
OMG OMG OMG!!! RT @KeluargaKilljoy THIS JUST UP: ROSE WON!!!1 GO TEAM #ROSE4SPACE!!!: http://on.fb.me/164qPXm http://tmblr.co/ZzyikqvtDbUM
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Malaysian Insider
Internet trolls’ target wins – Roshini off to Florida space camp
Roshini, the only female finalist in the contest, was the target of sexist remarks. Universiti Malaya postgraduate student Roshini Muniam can now have the last laugh on those who taunted her with sexual comments.
The 27-year-old Kuala Lumpur resident has been announced the winner of an online competition to go to space.
Roshini was swamped with congratulatory messages from netizens immediately after the announcement was posted on men’s grooming product Axe deodorant’s Apollo Space Race Facebook page.
She will be one of only 22 people worldwide to head to the Florida space camp in the United States, standing a chance to go to space.
Roshini is also one step closer to her dream of becoming Malaysia’s first female astronaut. In 2007, Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor became the first Malaysian to go to space under the government’s Angkasawan programme.
The top 5 have been selected.
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Roshini Muniam won the popular vote in the quest to be the first #Malaysian woman in space but it’s not over yet. Root for her! #Rose4Space
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The competition has ended: Tuesday, 17 September, 2013 and the winner will be announced on September 24. Only 22 candidates from various countries will be selected for the final rounds in Florida.
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Race + Feminism + Science: #Rose4Space Nears Milestone Victory
By On September 18, 2013
It’s anybody’s guess whether the people at Axe Malaysia imagined Roshini Muniam would be in this position. But as of Wednesday morning, the 27-year-old graduate student is seemingly poised to win the online poll determining the country’s representative at its “space academy” in Florida.
The great Jaymee Goh has been following and promoting Muniam’s candidacy — which picked up online speed under the #Rose4Space tag — and defending her against a spate of online trolls who are aghast that a woman is crashing what they see as their club. As Goh posted on Saturday:
1) Rose is a woman of colour from a particularly oppressed minority group in Malaysia.
2) I am a woman of colour, and from the same minority group.
3) I’ve been called every nasty name under the sun for exhibiting “male behaviour” that – were I male – would result in the exact opposite (i.e. I’d be called “straight-talking” and “solid” instead of “nagging Indian bitch” “shrill feminazi”.
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The balloting is officially closed, with the winner to be announced on Sept. 24. But, the last reported standings were still visible on Axe Malaysia’s Facebook page:
Based on that tally, Muniam leads her closest competitor by 31,287 after completing an impressive surge to the finish line…
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Jaymee Goh @jhameia Finally seeing the final numbers and YEAH FUCK YEAH TEAM #ROSE4SPACE! http://tmblr.co/ZW1NSyvJ6P5S
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Sister of Dusk @sisterofdusk Is it too early to get out my bottle of wine and bust a move to this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfZ8PbyiaeY … ‘COS I TOTALLY AM. #ROSE4SPACE #WEWILLWIN
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Roshini isn’t cheating; we simply stood up for and with her http://tmblr.co/ZW1NSyvHpdc3 #Rose4Space
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Lee Siew Yen @leesiewyen Voted for one last time before the competition ends in another hour! GO TEAM ROSE. #rose4space
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Tuesday, 17 September 2013
3.00pm
Jaymee Goh @jhameia #Rose4Space Update: Tuesday, 17th September 2013 http://tmblr.co/ZW1NSyvGMhPS Complete with explanation of number data!
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farah @yas_113 @jhameia I really hope she wins, even when she’s ahead of that Adam guy by 20k votes.
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Jaymee Goh @jhameia Homegirl Roshini Muniam with the folks of The Jam Break at @iAMCapitalFM ! http://tmblr.co/ZW1NSyvGC4Yz #Rose4Space
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Jaymee Goh @jhameia The intense chart of recent votes for #Rose4Space! The competition is gaining at the same rate http://tmblr.co/ZW1NSyvFRiWs
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Monday, 15 September 2013
6pm
Time Lady @syahirasharif nice number #Rose4space https://www.facebook.com/AXEmalaysia?sk=app_198173777025540 … pic.twitter.com/Imc9wYsb2Z
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Geminianeyes @geminianeyes This Msia Day, #Rose4Space! RT @jhameia: Roshini Muniam is in the lead, but we still need to widen that gap! http://tmblr.co/ZW1NSyvBHf_I
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thatwasntme @yours_heidi Why is Adam whining about #Rose4space? Do you see Rose complaining about you using BH and local pop singers to help you, boy?
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CLICK ON THE LINK TO FIND OUT WHAT THE VOTES ARE FOR ALL 5 FINALISTS!
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More from Twitter
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Jason S. Ganesan @il_castrato This AXE Space Race thing is becoming like GE13 #Rose4Space
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Jaymee Goh @jhameia Are any of you all tweeting #Rose4Space? If so, consider using a… http://tmblr.co/ZW1NSyvB0AY3
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Jaymee Goh @jhameia @diyana_yahaya AND she broke 100k votes!! #Rose4Space Not shabby for someone who was like at 3k just a couple days ago!
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Keluarga Killjoy @KeluargaKilljoy Roshini Muniam in the @iloveredfm Studio! http://tmblr.co/ZzyikqvAD00K #Rose4Space
Happy Malaysia Day! We’ve got Roshini Muniam in the studio- and she wants to go to space! Find out how you can help #redWTF
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Red FM Malaysia If you want to vote for her http://apps.facebook.com/axespacerace
Go to link
Accept the FB App
Vote for ROSE!!
Keep Voting EVERY HOUR until the 18th of September
Kartina Sugihara Hashtag #Rose4Space on Twitter and Tumblr!
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Jaya Sundaresh @anedumacation SHE’S PULLING AHEAD A LITTLE…. the difference was ~2k now it’s ~3k!! Keep voting!! #Rose4Space http://on.fb.me/164qPXm
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And THIS is why you should vote #Rose4Space! http://bit.ly/1aCX94N Say no to sexism. Say no to online bullying.
Merf. Thinking is Hard.
Jha can has random thoughtz about tapirs, kitties, comics, pretty people, social justice, things in general.
ctheguitarman asked: Hi. I was just wondering if you could send a Facebook message to my friend Ishyhara Rio? You see he doesn’t understand why he was tying for first yesterday and is now dropped to third. I understand that Rose is your cause of the moment (although most of the people blogging this probably don’t know her and couldn’t remember her name without checking the FB page or the original blog post), but next week you’ll all have a new cause, you’ll forget Rose and I’ll still have a crying friend.
This is the continuation of ctheguitarman’s asks:
You see I’ve known Anthony since he was a student at the school I work at, and then when he came to work with us I found him a conscientious, bright young man with big dreams who I supported wholeheartedly. But now his dream has been taken away by a group of tumblrites who have simply latched onto a cause without knowing anything about the people involved. And if you try and tell me that you would vote for the girl even if you had a male friend in the race I’ll ask you to kindly stop lying.
Ishyhara (or Anthony as I know him) is a good man who has no idea why this is happening to him. He doesn’t have a Tumblr, he doesn’t follow feminist blogs, but he’s about to have his dream smashed by you anyway. So I thought it might be a courtesy for you to let him know why. if you can explain it to him i’d really appreciate it, because I’m finding it hard to put into words why a group of people who didn’t even known about the competition until yesterday would suddenly get so involved in i
I don’t usually get involved in any sort of feminist blogging, because I understand that to do so would make me pretty hypocritical. I watch tv shows and movies that have real problems sometimes, and I acknowledge those problems, but I still get excited for those shows. So for me this is not a political issue, it is a personal one. I am sad that my friend is having his chance taken away by people who don’t know him or care about him.
I am sad that he is going to lose his dream because a group of people on Tumblr think that this is some righteous cause. But to ignore the personal is wrong. I am personally involved in this, and I wish that more of the people reblogging your post and blindly voting had any sort of personal stake in its result. You will have a new cause in a week, he will not. It may be hypocritical of me, but at least I am standing for something personal and emotional to me, instead of only political.
So please explain to my friend why you have done what you have done. Explain to the promoters at AXE that this had nothing to do with the competition and everything to do with your political views. He deserves it. He’s a good guy who deserves an explanation for what is being done to him. He didn’t make any of those comments, he is not one of the organisers of the competition. He just wanted to go into space, and now he never will.
It sure looked like Rose’s dream was crushed when she was in last place the other day, but she was still hopeful and responded to all those sexist comments with class and grace. Because she knew she deserved this opportunity just as much as every other contestant does. Because she wanted this very, very badly too.
All those sexist comments she got, that sorry number of votes she received at the beginning — that’s what being a woman is like. Even after proving her worth by getting to the finals — completing the same tasks as all the other finalists did — Rose is still deemed as a “not serious” contestant who does not deserve this chance as much as the other contestants do.
No, this is not just a political cause. It IS personal, and Rose’s victory is Malaysian women’s victory. Rose represents *our* dream too if she goes to space and she’s not just realising hers alone. She’s realising the dreams of millions of women of Malaysia who may never be able to go into STEM. We want young Malaysian women to believe they can achieve the impossible too as did we.
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Her votes soared from about 3,000 on Thursday to 81,637 (as of 5pm today, Sunday, 15 September 2013), establishing a lead of about 10,000 votes over her nearest rival.
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Sister of Dusk @sisterofdusk If AXE M’sia was serious about that, they’d have censored sexist comments on their FB page without us having to tell them to. #ROSE4SPACE
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Sister of Dusk @sisterofdusk Voting for #ROSE4SPACE because AXE M’sia was bs when they said they’d ensure a safe space — 2 WEEKS into the contest — after this backlash.
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AstroGrrls @LynxAstroGrrls Tweet your reasons with the hashtag #Rose4Space and let us know! And remember to vote, every hour and all hours! http://tinyurl.com/leqjrcy
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AstroGrrls @LynxAstroGrrls And we’re going to prove it wrong! I’m voting #Rose4Space because she is so determined to inspire others. Why are you voting for Rose?
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Jaymee Goh @jhameia In popularity contests, no holds barred! Go Team #Rose4Space! http://tmblr.co/ZW1NSyv6FVrk http://on.fb.me/164qPXm
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EmmJ @emmajeans Also, interestingly, the first male contestant has received tens of thousands of votes in the last few hours and Rose hasn’t…
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Diyana Yahaya @diyana_yahaya Lets kick some mysoginy & sexism out to space! Pun fully intended. #Rose4Space 😛
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Louise Tan @lweezetan GUYS GUYS LOOK WHAT TUMBLR MADE http://maddy-spencer.tumblr.com/post/61283492749/http-technicoloresque-tumblr-com-post-61190812403 … #Rose4Space
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Who do you feel should be Malaysia’s next AXE-tronaut?
Vote at the AXE Apollo Space Race tab now!
https://www.facebook.com/AXEmalaysia
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LATEST FROM TWITTER
Sunday, 15 September 2013
2.15pm
Keluarga Killjoy @KeluargaKilljoy
A fan crunched some numbers for us! http://tmblr.co/Zzyikqv4eWLx Don’t let Roshini fall into 2nd place, vote #Rose4Space!!
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Adelyn Yeoh @addiekinxz ROSE BROKE 80K!!!!! let’s vote gaissss!! https://www.facebook.com/AXEmalaysia?sk=app_198173777025540 … #ROSE4SPACE
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AstroGrrls @LynxAstroGrrls One of the competitors from Malaysia has been subjected to a campaign of sexist abuse. Post-grad Roshini Muniam needs our help #astrogrrls
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An elated Roshini, 27, was surprised at the positive response, and thanked netizens for supporting her dream. “Lovely Friday morning, folks. I jumped outta bed just now when I got a call from a friend saying that votes have gone up by 5,000 this morning.
“My heartfelt thanks goes out to the thousands of people out there who have finally heard my call. THANK YOU, THANK YOU a MILLION TIMES!! Please keep voting and accept my humble appreciation. It is YOUR SUPPORT that keeps me going!” she posted on her Facebook page this morning.
Malaysian Insider
Look who’s smiling now – trolls’ target Roshini pulling in the votes
A surge of sympathy votes saw astronaut aspirant Roshini Muniam, who was trolled online with sexist comments, sprint ahead of four male rivals in a Facebook competition to win a spot at a space camp in Florida, USA.
The only female finalist of Axe deodorant’s Apollo Space Race competition garnered nearly 30,000 votes (as at 5.30pm). Her nearest competitor was trailing with 25,500 votes. A day ago, she had the least number of votes.
The contestants underwent a series of challenges which tested their mental strength and endurance. The pictures of the top five were posted online where visitors were allowed to cast their votes.
Look who’s smiling now – trolls’ target Roshini pulling in the votes
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Malaysian Insider
Astronaut hunt turns into sexist nightmare for female finalist
A screenshot of Roshini on Axe’s Facebook page. – September 12, 2013.A competition on Facebook by a male grooming brand to send a Malaysian to a space camp in Florida, USA to train to be an astronaut turned ugly when the only female finalist was “trolled”, drawing sexist comments from netizens.
Post-graduate student Roshini Muniam, who is one of the top five finalists of Axe deodorant’s Apollo Space Race competition, was discriminated against online due to her gender.
A comment posted by Syed Wazien on Roshini’s profile, featured in Axe’s Facebook page, expressed surprise over a woman’s desire to go to space.
“What – a woman?! No way, hose!!!” he said.
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Another commentator, Dimitriy Mirovsky, was more insulting, saying that women should be prohibited from the competition as they menstruate.
“pompuan REJEK…… lelaki sahaje….. kang tampon ang pecah kat langit tu abis rosak space craft tu….. kah kah kah……” (Women should be rejected… it is only for males… if your tampon burst while you are in space, the entire spacecraft will be spoilt… kah kah
kah…)
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Plucky Roshini, 27, has hit back at the trolls.
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. I am all out to win this competition because I want to inspire ordinary people to have extraordinary dreams & goals,” she posted on the page.
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