Madam Sim's 1Malaysia Open House Goes A Long Way

By Kurniawati Kamarudin KLANG (Selangor, Malaysia), Feb 8 (Bernama) -- A red cloth hung above the front doorway of a Chinese home or an office and a dwarf Mandarin orange tree placed beside the entrance of a Chinese home or a business premise signify the arrival of another major festival in Malaysia - the Chinese New Year (CNY). Chinese all over the world are getting ready to welcome the 'Year of Snake' on Sunday. Other communities in Malaysia are also aware of CNY traditions. Ffor example the colour red which is known as 'hong' in Mandarin, is used in embellishments and clothing since red is an auspicious colour. Other items associated with CNY are Mandarin oranges or 'kam', reunion dinners, firecrackers and the most welcomed 'angpows'(money in red packets). Apart from bringing good luck and prosperity, CNY provides an opportunity for reconciliation, forgetting past misunderstandings and wishing peace and happiness to all. The spirit of CNY celebration that extends to 15 days is something shared by all Malaysians. MADAM SIM'S OPEN HOUSE TRADITION And in keeping up with the CNY tradition the Malaysian way, Madam Sim Lay Keng, 52, of Taman Botanic here goes the extra mile by entertaining friends and neighbours of different ethnic groups who drop in at her open house function. As for Sim, her truly 1Malaysia open house has been the routine since the last five years in celebrating the auspicious day. The open house function is not only a platform to celebrate this auspicious event but is also an avenue to foster inter-communal ties especially when looking at Malaysia's multicultural background. GETTING READY FOR THE BIG DAY Sim hopes that the 'Year of snake' which will begin on Feb 10, will bring greater luck and prosperity to her family. She also wants to show her appreciation to her friends and neighbours of different ethnic groups. Although the 'Year of Snake' does not match with Sim's zodiac sign, she is organising a grand celebration for her husband and children this year. Her preparations began during her trip to Ghuangzhou, China, last October. She has purchased a piece of red cloth then. Later, she sent the cloth to her friend in Malaysia so that she could stitch it as per Sim’s specifications. The cloth would be used to adorn the doorways of her home and business premises The red cloth should only be hung on an auspicious day, prescribed by a Feng Shui master, to ensure that good luck and success continues throughout the year, said the mother of three children aged 28, 24 and 17. Every year, Sim calls a caterer to her home to prepare foof for her open house event. "I inform the caterer as early as November every year. I give her a list of dishes that she needs to prepare. Is is important that the dishes ara halal, an important prerequisite for my Muslim friends," said Sim. BRINGING NEIGHBOURS CLOSER TOGETHER Sim organises the open house function on the seventh day of CNY every year. The seventh day is known as 'renzi', an ideal day to hold the function. Her open house tradition started after she moved into the neighbourhood and as she wanted to show her appreciation to her neighbours, employees and friends from other races. "It is the best time to get to know people from the other races. We may have taken others for granted, so with the open house we can met and get to know better our friends, neighbours and other family members," she said. Sim's open house function begins at 7 pm and ends at 11 pm. It attracts more than 170 people every year. Guests present at Sim's open house get to eat mutton, beef, roast chicken, laksa, rojak, and ais kacang. "We know that Indians do not eat beef. That’s why both beef and mutton dishes are available so that people can choose what they want to eat. We have to understand and respect the beliefs of others. "When I organised the open house for the first time, I assured my Malay friends that only halal food would be served during the event. I ensure that there are many dishes on the menu so that no one is restricted to certain dishes," she said. According to Sim, every year, more and more Chinese people are attending the CNY open house function. This helps to foster unity in a multicultural society. Sim, who grew up in a predominantly Malay and Indian neighbourhood, believes that the younger generation should understand and appreciate the traditions of different ethnic groups. "Today, people have become self-centred. This is not good for the society and the country. CNY helps to bring families, neighbours, and friends closer together," said Sim, who has been running a packaging firm for the last 20 years. CNY TRADITIONS TO CONTINUE CNY signifies a new beginning of the new lunar year. Every year, families get together on the eve of CNY for reunion dinners. Sim’s family prefers to hold their reunion dinner at a restaurant. A reunion dinner begins with the tossing of 'Yee Sang' (raw fish salad). This signifies prosperity. At the end of the dinner, angpows are given to children and adults who are single. After the reunion dinner, Sim and her family return to their home. "My husband and two sons usually head to a Chinese temple after the reunion dinner to pray for the family's happiness and well-being. Then, my daughter and I prepare a sweet drink," said Sim. CNY festivities begin at midnight with the burning of firecrackers and continue until the next day. Sim visits elders and her ancestral home. She hopes that her children will carry on this tradition. She also calls a lion dance troupe to her home every year. She calls the team on the fourth day of CNY to ward off evil spirits and to protect her loved ones. Every year, Sim offers 18 Mandarin oranges to the lion. Mandarin oranges signify wealth, harmony, and joy. -- BERNAMA