KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 3 — Despite not being professional artistes, two Malaysians currently based in China were given the opportunity to perform the traditional song Wau Bulan. 

A recording of the performance by Muhammad Isa Ahmad Zubir, 37, and Ahmad Fawzan Azmie Abdul Halil, 38 — who are foreign experts and also serve as hosts and broadcasters at Beijing-based China Media Group — was shown during the 2026 New Year Gala held in Luliang, Shanxi Province, China, which was broadcast by China’s national television station China Central Television (CCTV) on New Year’s Eve and watched by hundreds of millions of viewers across the country.

Muhammad Isa said the extraordinary opportunity came unexpectedly when he and Ahmad Fawzan were asked to submit a video recording of their singing for evaluation by the organisers, before being informed that they had been selected to represent Malaysia at the event concerned.

“Everything happened very quickly. We were then asked to travel to Luliang for the recording process (a week before the gala event). We never imagined it would be such a major opportunity because at first we thought it was just a small performance, but it turned out to be the opposite,” he said when contacted by Bernama.

The gala also featured renowned Chinese singers, including Richie Jen, Wang Yibo, Zhou Shen (Charlie), Wang Sulong (Silence) and Han Geng (Han Kyung).

Muhammad Isa said their performance was featured in an international segment alongside Vietnam and Kazakhstan, where each country was required to showcase a folk song as a representation of its cultural identity. 

He said they were given less than a week to prepare for the recording of their performance, which included memorising the lyrics, coordinating their movements and ensuring accurate pronunciation to deliver the traditional song effectively.

“We practised every day. Whenever we had time, we would squeeze in rehearsals together and also did research to find suitable movements for our performance. Everything was done to ensure Malaysian culture was showcased proudly,” he said.

Ahmad Fawzan, meanwhile, described the experience as challenging as the recording took place at around 2.30am in an open-air venue, shortly after snowfall, with temperatures dropping to -5C.

“It was bone-chilling cold, especially since we were only wearing traditional Malay attire during the recording. But because of the pride of representing Malaysia, we pushed through the cold. Despite the freezing weather, we still wanted to give our very best,” he said.

He said what made the experience even more special was that their performance was not only well-received by the production team but also drew the attention of international musicians who were visibly captivated by the rhythm of the traditional Malay song.

“I felt incredibly proud wearing the baju Melayu, singing a traditional Malaysian song and having people take photos with us. It really felt like a stroke of luck,” he said, adding that the performance was broadcast on CCTV on December 31, proving that Malaysian music and culture can stand tall on the international stage.

Ahmad Fawzan said the experience opened his eyes to the importance of introducing Malaysian culture to the world, and expressed hope that more young Malaysians would be given similar opportunities in the future.

“This was not just a performance, it was a chance to show Malaysia to the world. The sense of pride is truly beyond words,” he added. — Bernama