KOTA KINABALU: Kian Kok Middle School’s Culinary Arts class secured five bronze medals and two merit awards at the 2026 5th Global Culinary Alliance Challenge, held in Bintulu, Sarawak recently. The school was the only Malaysian secondary school participating in the international competition.
Board of Directors Chairman Datuk Clement Yeh, JP, said the students’ courage and determination stood out among strong international competitors and made the school proud.
“Winning these medals demonstrates a breakthrough and proves that a secondary school team from Kian Kok can excel internationally.
“From intense preparation to steady performance on the competition floor, every step has been a testament to the dedicated guidance of our instructors and the unwavering efforts of our students,” he said.
He added that the Culinary Arts class, established in 2023, has progressed rapidly from its inception to competition participation and now to achieving international recognition.
Yeh said such competitions not only enhance culinary skills but also help students develop maturity, self-confidence, and the ability to work effectively as a team.
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He described the achievement as a “zero-to-one” breakthrough and noted that he, together with several board members and Principal Goh Teck Seng, travelled to Bintulu to support and encourage the participants.
Chef Desmond Chong, practical training instructor of the Culinary Arts class, served as team mentor and also won a bronze medal in the Open Category Global Main Course Hot Cooking.
For the Youth Category – Asian Flavours Hot Cooking, bronze medals went to Nicholas Yeh Jiunn Horng (Senior 3 Zhi), Carmen Chew Jia Ven, Keith Hiew Jie, and Gan Wei Ming (Senior 2 Gang).
Merit awards were received by Isaac Yong Hao Yung (Senior 2 Gang) and Edward Kim Dae Gyeong (Senior 2 Gang).
In a related development, three alumni of Kian Kok Middle School, currently first-year Culinary Arts Management students at Li Ming Institute of Technology in Taiwan, also participated in the same competition and achieved excellent results, further adding to the school’s pride.
