Arthur Chang Wins Malaysia Best Sommelier Championship 2026 with Four Awards

KUALA LUMPUR, JULY 2026 — Malaysian sommelier Arthur Chang emerged as the overall champion of the Malaysia Best Sommelier Championship 2026 after delivering the strongest performance across a demanding series of theory, tasting and professional service challenges.

The competition, organised by the Sommelier Association of Malaysia, was held at St Giles Mid Valley in Kuala Lumpur from July 17 to 19. Chang completed the championship with four honours: the Champion title, Best in Theory, Best in Service and the Cepas de Chile Award.

The Cepas de Chile Award recognises a competitor’s knowledge and appreciation of Chilean wines. Sponsored by the Embassy of Chile in Malaysia, the award was presented by Chilean Ambassador to Malaysia Jaime Muñoz Sandoval.

Chang currently works as a sommelier at 67 Pall Mall Singapore and previously served at Dewakan in Kuala Lumpur. He said the competition was extremely challenging and acknowledged that his victory came from making fewer mistakes rather than delivering a flawless performance.

The Sungai Buloh native described his success against international participants as evidence that Malaysian hospitality professionals are capable of competing at a high level despite the country not having a domestic wine-producing industry. He attributed his achievement to persistence, strong mentality and continuous learning.

Chang encouraged aspiring Malaysian sommeliers to gain practical tasting experience while remaining humble and open to learning from more experienced professionals. He also expressed hope that Malaysia would eventually earn wider recognition as a serious market for wine knowledge, service and hospitality.

The 2026 championship attracted 11 competitors, comprising nine Malaysians and two international entrants. It marked the first time the national competition was opened to foreign sommeliers working either in Malaysia or overseas.

Competitors underwent three days of assessments covering theoretical knowledge, blind tasting, professional service and food-and-beverage pairing. The top three contestants advanced to the Grand Final on July 19, where they completed eight challenges involving individual and team assignments.

The final-round tasks tested beverage inspection, communication, teamwork and decision-making through high-pressure scenarios designed to reflect real guest-service situations. The finalists completed the challenges before a live audience and a panel of senior hospitality and wine professionals.

Chin Voon Ping, head sommelier at Potager Restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, finished as first runner-up and also received the Best in Blind Tasting Award. Singapore-based Aaron Liew, a senior sales executive at Grand Vin, was named second runner-up.

Independent wine consultant Daisuke Kawai received the inaugural Best Foreign Sommelier Award. Kawai previously served as chef sommelier at Singapore’s Les Amis restaurant.

The competition was judged by hospitality and wine professionals from Malaysia and Singapore. Sommelier Association of Malaysia president Danny Leong said the championship represents the country’s highest benchmark for professional sommelier excellence, while international participation raised the standard of competition and strengthened Malaysia’s position in the global hospitality community.

Chang is now preparing to sit for his Advanced Sommelier Certification with the Court of Master Sommeliers in October. His longer-term ambition is to pursue the Master Sommelier Diploma, one of the profession’s most demanding qualifications.