“I don’t like to put labels on anything. I’m a citizen of the world. I’m that kind of girl who chases her dreams,” she said in an email interview with the BBC, a news report said.

“What really separates us is not skin colour nor religion. It’s opportunity,” Star Online quoted her as saying. “Different people have different points of view and I am not in control of that. I respect each and everyone’s opinion.”

Nuraini, of Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, and a graduate of Universiti Teknologi Mara graduate was selected as one of 14 contestants in the competition, a reality TV show on Astro’s Star World channel.

The sole Malaysian to qualify, she came under fire after she was featured on the entertainment web site Mynewshub, with criticism of the fact she is Malay and a Muslim.

Critics questioned why she was allowed to take part, on the grounds that Muslims are purportedly “banned” from events where contestants have to expose their bodies.

Tuti pointed out that there had not been any controversy previously, when she won the X Top Model Search Malaysia in 2012 and a subsidiary title, the X Walk.

The competition will be televised by Astro on Wednesday.