Sabah Youth Peace Culture Festival: Peace Starts with Me
Awakening a Wave of Peace through the Echoes of Peace

In December 2025, SGM Sabah created a surge of peace with its Youth Peace Culture Festival. Themed “Echoes of Peace,” the event adopted the slogan “Peace Starts with Me,” encouraging young people to embark on an inner awakening and respond to society through art and action.

The festival drew an audience of 1,870, with friends of SGM accounting for approximately 70% of the audience. This highlights the event’s appeal and reach within the general public.

On 13 December, SGM members in Tawau and Lahad Datu jointly organised the festival at the Institute of Science and Management (ISM) in Tawau. Using a theatrical narrative to weave together the theme “It Starts with One Person,” the event featured a fusion of modern and traditional dances, junior division performances and choral singing.

The gymnastics performance was the highlight, with team members synchronising seamlessly to create “human waves” and “human ladders.” These formations symbolised the cascading legacy of the waves of peace. The creative endeavours blended with diverse cultures being showcased left the audience feeling moved, feeling the power of peace and hope through teamwork. 

The show on 20 and 21 December at the Sabah Culture Centre was an original stage play blending dance, piano and violin recitals, a choral singing and rhythmic gymnastics. It tells of a dancer undergoing a profound life transformation through connecting with the spirit of the three founding presidents of the Soka Gakkai.

The production culminated in a display of dances from different ethnic groups alongside traditional Sabahan indigenous dances, showcasing the transmission of peace through diversity and inclusion. The event was attended by representatives from the Sabah Ministry of Education and Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) Student Union, and youths from the Sabah Society for the Deaf. The festival received widespread acclaim, further affirming the value of nurturing youth and promoting a culture of peace.

Florida, from the Sabah Society for the Deaf, was profoundly moved by the performance. She noted that the protagonist’s ability to pull through with her grandmother’s encouragement served as a reminder of the importance of gentle communication and facing challenges bravely. She particularly remembered the “light” scene, agreeing that peace begins with oneself, and encouraged young people to remain positive and cherish their families while praising the thoughtful choreography.

Carey Chow, who had participated in the Run for Peace, is familiar with SGM’s efforts to promote peace and culture. She praised the festival as a profound experience, noting that the “This is Me” segment helped her realise that change begins with “me” in this very moment.

Meanwhile, Lim Teck Leong learnt about the festival through Run for Peace and took the initiative to request tickets for himself and six family members. He was deeply moved by the plot, particularly the protagonist being guided to rise again after a setback, which taught him the importance of never being discouraged when facing difficulties.

Breaking through One’s Limit with the Spirit of Unity

A young men’s division member from Sandakan travelled across regions to participate in the performance. Due to the distance, he was unable to attend practices and could only practise with the full team once, just before the final dress rehearsal on 20 December. To support him, the person-in-charge recorded performance steps videos and arranged a daily routine of physical training for him to complete at home, while the choreography was adjusted to include more independent movements. Ultimately, through the united support of the entire team, he performed flawlessly on stage, embodying the spirit of “turning the impossible into the possible.”

The “Member Care Group” formed by the women’s division prepared over a hundred servings of dessert every week at their own expense to provide nourishment for the performers. The ingredients and flavours were carefully discussed to ensure they were both healthy and delicious. While distributing the snacks, they engaged in encouraging dialogues with the performers, allowing the youth to feel supported as they dedicated themselves more firmly to the festival.

Furthermore, this marked the first time the Sabah Branch invited youth from the deaf community, discovering that spiritual resonance can transcend communication barriers. Before the performance, teachers assisted them in reading the synopsis; during the show, they cheered using sign language, fully immersed in the experience. From the eyes and hand gestures of these young people, one could deeply feel the joy and courage they gained from truly connecting with the performance.

At the Sabah Culture Centre, stage play performer Soong Fui Yee reflected on the preparations, her deepest feeling being: “I actually did it.” Taking on the lead role and a solo dance for the first time, she briefly lost confidence when her movements were corrected during rehearsals. However, with the encouragement of her teachers and the cheers of her teammates, she regained her confidence, convinced that as long as one takes a single step forward, a breakthrough is possible. She now encourages other youths to bravely take that first step towards change.

In Tawau, Lai Vei Jiun served as the overall event coordinator for the first time and gymnastic team performer for the festival. Despite challenges such as a shortage of manpower, difficulty in gathering everyone, and the constraints of his own work, he remained steadfast in his conviction that “Tawau must hold this culture festival,” while inviting friends and deepening dialogues with them. His most unforgettable moment came during the final curtain call; as the entire cast took to the stage, his eyes welled with tears and his heart finally found peace, having deeply felt the mission and the power of a team acting in total unity.

Reported by Fung Jin Yee and Leong Kai Seong, photographed by Chin Vui Lip, Dennis Chin Kon Ching and Lim Chee Youn