Sabah created history by setting both Asia Records and ASEAN Records for the longest muhibbah kongsi raya yee sang toss, measuring 1,500 metres, at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC).
The record recognition plaques were received by Borneo Referral Group founder and chief executive officer Brandon Chin from ASEAN Records executive director Eldrik Koh.
The event was witnessed by Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister Datuk Ceasar Mandela Malakun, who represented Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor.
Chin said the three-day event, held from February 6 to 8, was aimed at bringing communities together through shared celebrations, reflecting Sabah’s multicultural harmony.
“We want to celebrate festivals as a community and show that despite our diverse backgrounds, we are united,” he said.
He said the muhibbah kongsi raya yee sang symbolised the fusion of cultures through food, tradition and shared values.
The concept, Chin said, was developed together with the Borneo Culinary Association and Sabah and Sarawak chef Dion Jee.
“We wanted to do something meaningful that brings cultures and communities together, and the 1,500-metre yee sang became that symbol,” he said.
Chin said the initiative had two main objectives. The first was to showcase Sabah as a state defined by diversity, unity and peaceful coexistence.
“This is Sabah — where people live together in harmony despite differences in culture, race and religion,” he said.
The second objective, he said, was to raise Sabah’s visibility at the ASEAN level.
“ASEAN comprises 11 countries, and setting an ASEAN record helps spark interest and engagement.
“From there, opportunities in tourism, trade and business can grow,” he said.
He added that the record had been officially endorsed and certified by the ASEAN Records Secretariat.
Chin described the achievement as a starting point for greater regional collaboration.
“This is just the seed. We hope more ASEAN-level initiatives can be achieved by Sabah in the future,” he said.
He said about 600 participants took part in the event, including ethnic associations, students, volunteers, business leaders and members of the public, with the Sabah Tourism Board alone bringing representatives from 35 ethnic groups.
More than 300 volunteers worked over three days to ensure the success of the record attempt, which involved about 169 kilogrammes of yee sang ingredients sourced locally and internationally.
Chin said preparations for the event took more than six months, with support from various sponsors and partners.
“Now that this has been achieved, we will take a break before considering what comes next,” he said.
