PETALING JAYA: It was a moment of national pride for two Malaysians after they were selected to record a Malay song to usher in the New Year for the international 2026 New Year Gala show in China.
Isa Zubir, 36, and Fawzan Azmie, 38, both working in China, said they were surprised after being shortlisted to record a performance alongside Kazakhstan and Vietnam in Luliang, Shanxi province.
The memorable experience began for the duo when their boss at the Beijing-based China Media Group asked for a short video recording of their rendition of Rasa Sayang.
“My boss said it was for evaluation by the Asia and Africa Centre director.
“I didn’t think much of it,” Isa told The Star yesterday.
They only realised the significance of their effort upon arriving for rehearsals for the programme, which was broadcast throughout China.
“The recording venue was huge.
“It was like a stadium turned into a massive square surrounded by large screens,” Isa said.
He added that recording was done after midnight following snowfall, with temperatures dropping to as low as -5°C.
“Enduring the cold became one of the biggest challenges during recording as we were only dressed in our baju Melayu.
“We wore multiple heat patches but it was still freezing,” Isa said.
“Adrenaline kicked in once the cameras began rolling, but it got very cold again once recording stopped.”
Isa said it was also challenging because they only had a few days to rehearse during the week-long recording schedule, which included some of China’s well-known stars.
“It was nerve-wracking as we practised for only two or three days.
“It was a tough feat as we are not professional performers,” said Isa.
Fawzan said he initially thought that they were going to do a simple recording for a New Year Eve’s programme.
“We were told that we were going to Shanxi to record something for the New Year.
“We had no idea it was going to be this big,” he said.
Despite the challenges, Fawzan said the opportunity to represent Malaysia made their effort worthwhile.
He added that they decided on the song Wau Bulan for their recording.
“It is a joyful song and is known to all Malaysians regardless of race.
“The song celebrates happiness and life, which was what we wanted to showcase,” Fawzan said.
The duo were backed up by instruments played by music lecturers from Indonesia and China.
“Although we represented Malaysia, it felt as though we were representing South-East Asia and China,” Fawzan said.
Both men, who work as hosts and broadcasters with the company, are still in the process of learning Mandarin.
“Our stay here has deepened our appreciation of cultural differences.
“Living in China teaches you to appreciate diversity which makes life more interesting,” they said.
