An Ethiopian beauty queen has been released from four days in quarantine after arriving in Malaysia to represent her country in a pageant without the necessary health documents, an official said today.

Miss Tourism pageant organiser Alaric Soh said Dina Fekadu Mosissa was released on Monday in Kuala Lumpur and had flown to meet the other contestants in the town of Miri in Sarawak.

"She is in good health, she is all right," said Soh.

Mosissa, 20, was detained after flying into Kuala Lumpur on July 13 without a yellow fever vaccination certificate and was kept under observation at a quarantine centre south of the capital.

"I was just sitting there and walking around for four days, there was nothing to do," Mosissa said.

"The doctors and the nurses were very nice... but I was disappointed because I did not meet the group on time," she said, referring to the other contestants.

Mosissa, who is studying philosphy at a university in Addis Ababa, said she was happy to finally join the pageant and had no hard feelings towards Malaysia.

"I am trying my best to get one of the titles, even if I'm late," she told

Mosissa's detention was the second incident to mar this month's Miss Tourism pageant in Kuching, the capital of Sarawak.

Last week, Miss Tibet Tashi Yangchen bowed out of the contest after the organisers caved into Chinese demands that she only be allowed to compete in the sash of "Miss Tibet-China", a proposal which Tibetan officials rejected.

The pageant, with contestants from 31 countries, will hold its finale on July 23.