Malaysian Chinese celebrate lunar year in pomp and tradition in New York

NEW YORK: The increasingly influential Malaysian Chinese community, galvanised under the Malaysian Chinese Association Club as part of the Malaysian Association of America (MAA), celebrated on Friday night here the Chinese lunar year in pomp and style while, at the same time, preserving the Chinese cultural traditions.
The large hall of the New Mulan Restaurant in the Chinese-dominated Flushing district of New York – was packed with Malaysian Chinese and their families, alongside American guests, attired in colourful clothing and applauding the traditional lion dance that is emblematic of the lunar year.
Malaysia's permanent representative to the United Nations, Datuk Muhammad Shahrul Ikram Yaakob, and his wife, were the chief guests. Shahrul Ikram, who had just arrived from a visit to Rome, congratulated the Malaysian Chinese community and extended greetings to them.
"I am very happy to be here," the envoy said, lauding the progress made by the Malaysian Chinese community.
The Malaysian consul general in New York, Jeremiah Oliver Jitos, and his staff as well as Kennedy Mayung Onon, the Malaysian deputy permanent representative to the UN, were also present.
Heads of other Malaysian government agencies such as the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade), the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) and private companies, together with their families, were also present at the celebration.
The office bearers of the Malaysian Chinese Association Club including Kim Bong, a Malaysian businessman considered to be a driving force behind the MCA and because of his social work for Malaysians in the US is seen as a father figure by many young Malaysians – were busy conducting both the ceremonial and organisational part of the celebrations.
Jimmy Tan and Sam Chin, MAA's CEO and President respectively, took care of the protocol as they welcomed the guests, which included some prominent personalities such as Congresswoman Grace Meng, who is a frequent guest at various Asian cultural events and former New York comptroller John Liu.
There were also representatives from a number of New York government offices at the event.
Meng told Bernama that she admired the "lovely people of Malaysia" and enjoyed attending their cultural events such as the Chinese lunar year celebrations which afforded her an opportunity to meet with the community.
Kim Bong, who was joined by Shahrul Ikram and other Malaysian officials on the stage while the traditional lion dance was being performed, said that Malaysians living in the US were successful not only in their professions and their work but also in other areas of interest such as cultural and social work.
He pinned hope on the second generation Malaysians – those that were either born here or arrived here as small children with their parents – to make an "even greater mark on American life". — Bernama