AUCKLAND: October 1, 2026 – Armed with self-penned songs and a dream of bringing Sabah’s name to New Zealand’s music stage, Tambunan-born singer Jelisha, 29, is now chasing a place in the top eight of the PB Tech Star 2026 competition.
The native of Tondulu Village, Tambunan, has been living and working in New Zealand since 2019. She took the opportunity to join the competition organised by PB Tech, a technology company in the country.
Jelisha is competing in the performance and public voting phase alongside about 218 contestants from across New Zealand. The contestants come from various backgrounds, including locals and individuals from other countries who live or work there.
The competition has six voting rounds. Votes for contestants will be collected until Oct 25. The contestants with the highest votes will advance to the top eight before getting the chance to perform live in the Final Round in Auckland.
According to Jelisha, taking part is not merely a chance to test her ability in a singing competition. It is also a space to return to music after several years in New Zealand.
“I have always loved singing since I was a child. As far as I can remember, I started singing when I was four or five years old,” she said.
She said that during almost seven years in New Zealand, PB Tech Star was among the singing competitions that caught her attention. It is open to the public and not limited to school students or specific categories.
“I felt this was an opportunity I should try. Moreover, I really want to be active in music again and bring my own original song,” she said.
For the competition, Jelisha chose “No One Knows”, an original song she wrote herself that holds personal meaning in her life journey.
She said the song is about uncertainty in life, including when one faces choices, loses direction or feels afraid of what is to come.
However, the song’s main message is the need to keep rising and continue the journey even without fully knowing what lies ahead.
“In my view, as long as we are still here, we must get up and continue the journey. We do not need to know all the answers now because, in the end, only God knows where this life will take us,” she said.
Now, her focus is securing voting support to move into the top eight and ultimately realise her dream of bringing Sabah’s name to the final stage in Auckland.
With the slogan “From Sabah to the New Zealand Stage”, Jelisha hopes Sabahans and Malaysians in New Zealand or at home will lend their support through the free public voting platform.
Voting opens every week and a new voting round has now begun.
