Night to herald new beginnings

MORE than 660 guests were treated to a spectacular display of cultural celebration at the Thean Hou Temple in Kuala Lumpur for a pre-Chinese New Year gala dinner hosted by Yayasan Bakti Nusa Malaysia (YBNM) and the Malaysia Chinese Assembly Hall (MCAH).

The gala dinner began with a majestic dragon dance to welcome 30 VIPs, including hosts YBNM chairman Tan Sri Ong Tee Keat and MCAH president Datuk Seri Chai Kee Kan as well as guests Seputeh MP Teresa Kok, Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung and Rawang assemblyman Chua Wei Kiat along with 15 diplomats.

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SMJK Chung Hwa’s students put on a grand 24 festive drum performance.

Other performances included calligraphy, traditional dance and martial arts.

In his welcome speech, Chai said the pre-Chinese New Year celebration coincided with “Wei Ya”, a traditional Chinese festival, originating from the ritual of worshipping the Earth deity.

“We are about to enter the Year of the Wood Dragon, where the dragon is a symbol of strength, authority and good fortune in Chinese culture.

“The Year of the Dragon is seen as a time full of opportunities and prosperity, with people optimistically anticipating a new beginning. So let us celebrate together, ushering in the new year full of hope and beauty,” he said.

Chai said a recently signed memorandum of cooperation between MCAH and YBNM would see both organisations fostering harmony among different communities within the country and promoting mutual respect between various races and religions.

Chai (standing fourth from left) with guests at the gala dinner.

“We are confident that through understanding and respect, Malaysia can build a more inclusive and peaceful society.”

Throughout the dinner, there were also performances showcasing Chinese cultural arts such as bian lian (face changing), diabolo (Chinese yo-yo) and wushu.

Ong, in his speech, heralded the celebration dinner as a catalyst for the resurgence of the foundation and expressed his optimism for the MCAH collaboration.

A 24 festive drum performance by students at the dinner.

“As we at YBNM celebrate our 25th anniversary this year, we set out to inaugurate our international outreach initiatives, alongside our domestic collaboration with other like-minded non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in cultural and people-to-people exchange programmes on the front of Track Two diplomacy.

“In the face of contemporary common challenges confronting society, our option for a coherent global governance is multilateral cooperation, which is only possible through genuine inclusivity and wider understanding,” said Ong.

The celebration dinner was part of a carnival that unfolded during the day.

It involved 40 street food and other vendors and some 100 children aged between seven and 15 for an art competition.