McDonald’s Malaysia Celebrates Gawai in Sarawak Style

McDonald’s Gawai Celebration Lights Up Bintulu

McDonald’s Malaysia just dropped a major community moment in Bintulu, Sarawak, celebrating the Gawai festival in full swing with its first-ever McDonald’s Gawai celebration called Aram Begulai Ngabang Ba Mekdi.

Hosted at McDonald’s Bintulu Pandu-Lalu, the event brought serious festive feels with traditional Gawai-themed décor and a vibe that welcomed everyone from the local community. The aim? To honour the Sarawak tradition of ngabang, visiting friends and family during Gawai, and make McDonald’s feel like part of the homegrown joy.

Culture, Community, and Chicken McDeluxe

The celebration was a true cultural mashup of music, dance, and local flavour:

• Traditional Ngajat Induk dance performances
• Live music by Tino Amee, Phoebe Chloe, and The Crew feat. Philies
• Best traditional attire contest with cash prizes
• Fun games with food voucher giveaways

And yes, McDonald’s handed out 1,500 free Spicy Chicken McDeluxe meals. The night ended with a stunning laser show that turned the parking lot into a full-on celebration zone.

Why It Matters: More Than Just Burgers

Aram Begulai Ngabang Ba Mekdi wasn’t just a one-off. It’s part of McDonald’s Malaysia’s bigger push to celebrate local festivals and build real community ties across the country.

Other recent community-driven events:

• CNY Mekdi Open House in February
• Raya Mekdi in April
• Kaamatan celebration in May

The brand’s commitment runs deep, with nearly 10,000 community activities held annually across 370+ outlets nationwide, from celebrating Teachers' Day to organising birthday bashes for orphans.

Dato' Haji Azmir Jaafar, Managing Director and Local Operating Partner of McDonald’s Malaysia, summed it up:

“We want everyone to feel McDonald’s Malaysia is part of them.”