KOTA KINABALU: For 10-year-old Chloe Chong Zi Han, stepping onto a stage in Beijing meant facing more than just the judges.
It was her first overseas singing performance, competing at the Tian Lai Xin Sheng 2026 Global Auditions alongside young singers from different countries, and she admitted she was nervous.
But with encouragement from her family and vocal coach Susheena Yap, the Keningau girl found her confidence, and returned home with a Special Gold Award from the competition.
Chong scored 98.76, while fellow Sabahan Rainie Wong Jing Ru, 11, from Kota Kinabalu scored 99.46 in the competition, which drew more than 700 young singers from over 10 countries and regions.
Chloe, a pupil of Yuk Kong Chinese Primary School in Keningau, was also named among the “Global Top 100 Young Singers”.
Yap said the young singers had to cope with more than the pressure of competition.
They had to adjust to Beijing’s weather, spend long periods waiting backstage and remain focused while performing in an unfamiliar environment.
Rainie’s experience in China went beyond the competition.
She also attended the five-day, four-night Tian Lai Xin Sheng 2026 Vocal Training Camp and was selected to perform with young Chinese singers for the Tian Lai Xin Sheng television programme, scheduled to be broadcast by BRTV in October.
For Rainie, one of the most memorable parts of the trip was discovering how music allowed her to connect with other young performers despite language differences.
“I am very happy with this achievement and hope to have more opportunities to perform on international stages and sing for more people,” she said.
Keningau Hakka Association president Kapitan Anthony Chong Kong Ming congratulated the pair, saying their achievements demonstrated the potential of young Sabah talent.
Sandakan-born vocal educator JinV Wong, the only Malaysian invited as an expert judge, said Sabah’s multilingual environment could also give young singers an advantage.
Exposure to different languages, he said, could help them develop the ability to perform across different musical genres and languages.
For Chloe and Rainie, the Beijing experience not only offered an early taste of the international stage, but also the possibility of where their voices could take them next.
