Chinese New Year celebration for the Nanyang (Overseas) Chinese - Learn from Singapore

 

Chinese New Year in Malaysia, 2021

1.  Population of Malaysia - 32.7 million.

2.  Demography : 

3. Area of Malaysia - 330,803 sq km.

4.  Covid 19 cases: 

     (a) In Malaysia

     (b) While in Sarawak:

Obviously, in a pandemic like this, getting together raises enormous problems.   Consider, for example: 

All this "sound and fury" from representatives of 23.2 % of the population ..........

Read https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2021/02/05/guan-eng-adds-to-chorus-of-ridicule-for-cny-sops-says-ridiculous-rules-show/1947180#google_vignette

....... when this SOP .....

Read http://covid-19.moh.gov.my/faqsop/sop-perayaan/sop-pkp-tahun-baru-cina-chinese-new-year-2021

...... was announced by the "backdoor, minority"  Malay-led Government (whose authority was not recognised by 90% of Chinese according to the DAP leader Lim Guan Eng).  The Malay-led Government  compromised with this minority and the SOP was updated.

Read https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/malaysia-cny-rules-revised-to-allow-more-to-gather-for-reunion-dinner

Who says size matters?  Not when you have  Warlords Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng from the DAP on your side!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile, in a nation just south of Malaya (a small City-State where most of the population are descendants of settlers and colonists from the Middle Kingdom of China) the rules were slightly different.    Here, the celebrations for the Year of the Ox during the Covid-19 Pandemic had already been carefully drawn up by January 26th 2021, by the PAP-led Government  that had been ruling the country since its Independence.

Chinese New Year 2021 in Singapore

1. Population 5.69 million

2.  Demography :

3.  Area - 728 sq km.

4.  Covid 19 cases: 

5.  All the following are extracts from :

Read https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/covid-19-cny-things-to-know-8-visitors-lohei-mask-dining-out-14020958

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chinese New Year Celebration for the Middle Kingdom (People's Republic of China - PRC)

1.  Last year for the Year of the Rat :

2.  This year, the Year of the Ox :

Read  https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/china-lny-travel-new-dst-intl-hnk/index.html

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Here's A Chinese New Year video by Namewee.

PS   Wee Meng Chee's CV.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Another PS. Sorry.

Is 2021 the Year of the Ox or the Year of the Cow?  It seems both are acceptable. According to the Chinese Zodiac, the Cow symbolizes an animal with a gentle nature associated with Buddha. The Ox on the other hand, represents a diligent and dependable personality.

There is however a difference between a cow (lembu betina  in Malay) and an ox (lembu jantan).

The West is quite categorical about the difference.

 

Finally, whatever the day, whatever the Celebration, keep well and safe and healthy for the sake of our loved ones, our Rakyat, especially the Frontliners, and our Nation.  

Abide with the SOP.

Renegade to Hero.

 Malaysia, whatever you do, please, please do not ban this book.

Especially  I beg of my Malay Muslims, young and old to not go the way of this  "Tukang Karut"  (a terminology used by M. Nasir)

Like Salman Rushdie, you will turn him into a hero.

You will give credence and validity to his  "Wild" accusations, innuendoes and his mendacity.

You will turn your Bangsa into Melayu Bangsat, Pengecut and  Katak di bawah Tempurung.

Think of your Heritage.  Not too long ago, your forefathers fought the Japanese and the Malayan Communist Party and so we live in the present country we now have - not totally of our own making and of our choice, but that is all we have and so far we have done a pretty good job.

If we ban this book, we lose our pride and dignity.

If we ban this book, the nation and the Malay-Muslims' reputation will be ground into the dirt.

THIS IS WHAT THEY WANT US TO DO!!!!!

Our nation cannot live with a renegade turning into a Martyr - and a non Malay, non-Muslim martyr to boot!  We certainly must not be responsible for creating and thus  sanctifying St Tommy Thomas.

Furthermore, as Aesop wrote.

The shaft of the arrow had been feathered with one of the eagle's own plumes.

[We often give our enemies the means of our own destruction.]

Look at ourselves, our leaders and leadership. We have the "musuh dalam selimut dan luar selimut". Another enemy (several of our own people), stand beside us providing the  blanket stored in our cupboard.

Let TT and his publisher and his sponsors and masters  keep this book, its profit and other gains.

Don't succumb to this "momok momok"  (again from M Nasir) that thrives in our nation.

So please give Tommy Thomas enough rope to hang himself.

READ, and learn the nature of his game.

 

I

Sauce for the Goose and Sauce for the Gander - Kong Hee Fatt Choy

 The Gander snarls  .....

Mr Lim's displeasure.

The Goose reminisces .....

But "the goose is cooked".  (It's an idiom meaning "the good times are over".)  Thanks to Covid 19.

One of the the caretakers in the Kitchen explains.....

Ash reckons .....

If only Hari Raya had been on February 12, 2021,  we could have had our celebration at the Pasar Malam or the Car Wash or at the Barbershop too!  Furthermore, there would be an improvement in hairstyle for all Malaysians!  And, this time, the B40s, the employees and their Taukehs would have been able to earn and bring home a bit more 'lui'  (money in Hokkien) for the family to celebrate an auspicious occasion.

Besides (and before Covid 19), Malaysians in Malaysian Malaysia have already been afflicted by another Virus, this time from the West - a virulent global bug known as Victimitis and MeTooitis.  It has developed most especially among the comfortable (and more 'civilised') urban denizens.  It is an offshoot of the Human Rights Crusade.  Unlike the invisible virus of Covid 19, this one is very, very conspicuous and in-your-face.

Everybody and anybody can put on the mantle of Victimhood.  But nobody wants to talk about their blessings or their responsibilities - only their self-entitlement.

Finally, as an anak jati Semenanjung Tanah Melayu, I hold my head in my hands and I fall back in despair of my heritage.

                                       I am standing with one foot in the grave.