Inside The Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce (Sabah)’s Annual Ball

In his opening speech, MCCC Sabah’s president, Datuk Dexter Lau, expressed the chamber’s vision to continue serving as a bridge for deeper collaboration between Malaysia and China across trade, culture and beyond, uniting resources for shared growth and lasting success. “Over the past year, we have progressed steadily—expanding our networks, strengthening our platforms, and creating meaningful opportunities for our members.”

Following this, His Excellency Dr Zhu Xinglong, China’s Consul General to Sabah, thanked the MCCC Sabah branch and all friends in Sabah for their continued support and friendship. “As President Xi Jinping noted, friendship between nations lies in the closeness of their peoples,” he said in his speech during the evening.

“The Chinese civilisation is profound, spanning over 5,000 years across vast oceans and represented through calligraphy, traditional Chinese medicine and martial arts. And with Sabah’s vibrant multicultural touch, arts and culture become a bridge to connect, exchange and promote these traditions—and through this spirit of cooperation, we will see a new chapter, a new era and continued success.”

As Datuk Lau promised in his welcoming remarks, the evening’s dinner included a curated, special presentation that reflects unique Sabahan and Chinese touches. An opening dish of lobster with caviar was followed by a hearty soup of chicken with scallops, morel mushrooms and fish maw. There was also braised abalone with sea cucumber, an abalone nasi lemak, as well as a Nanyang dessert platter. A special touch of traditional dumplings, crafted by Sun Guolong and Wen Jing from Dalian, was presented as one of the courses to symbolise reunion, abundance and blessings.

Accompanying this culinary procession were performances that included the opening act by Sabah’s Tsung Tsin School with its 24 Festive Drums team. Next came the Dance Queen Artist from Foshan, Guangdong, setting the stage for an immersive journey into classical Chinese opera. The cast of Chinese opera performers ranged from eight-year-old Jiang Yike, accompanied by 10 local children, to Wang Xiaoyan of the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts, Ye Suijuan, who presides over the Bailuhu Opera Society in Huizhou, Zhang Weidong of the Shanxi troupe, and Wang Yuhan, a specialist in Qingyi roles in the Beijing Opera.

The evening’s final flourish then arrived, courtesy of the scintillating Era Budaya Sabah. The performances blended traditional and modern dance with a nail-biting blowpipe performance, Sumazau dances of the Kadazandusun, and an incredibly acrobatic and energetic Murut Magunatip bamboo dance, in which the skilful performers showcased incredible dexterity and rhythmic grace—a most fitting finale to an unforgettable night.