Abstract Studies exploring the influence of parenting styles on the child-parent relationship have been widely undertaken among parents of early childhood. However, there has been limited focus on investigating this correlation within the unique context of Sabah, Malaysia. This study seeks to bridge this gap by analyzing the impact of parenting styles on the child-parent relationship among Chinese mothers with preschool-aged children in Sabah, Malaysia. Additionally, it explored the relationship between maternal education level and parenting styles within this unique context. Utilizing a quantitative approach, an online questionnaire was administered to 165 Chinese mothers of preschoolers in Sabah. After collecting the data, Pearson's correlation and multiple regression analyses were conducted to investigate the relationships between parenting styles and the parent-child relationship. The results revealed a positive correlation between maternal education level and authoritative parenting styles, whereas an inverse correlation was found with authoritarian styles. Furthermore, authoritative parenting demonstrated a strong association with a closer parent-child relationship and moderate negative correlation with conflict levels. Conversely, authoritarian parenting exhibited a moderate negative correlation with closeness and a moderate positive correlation with conflict. However, regression analyses did not reveal significant effects of parenting styles on the child-parent relationship. These results offer insights for parents and policymakers to develop strategies aimed at enhancing or adjusting early childhood education and care within the specific context of Sabah, Malaysia.