CHINESE NEW YEAR-18th FEB 07- Happy New Year Greetings to One & All Celebrating Locally & Overseas; MAY EVERY STEP You Take BE a HIGHER ONE

ABOVE: Logo Adapted from Kickdefella

ABOVE: The Largest "Nien Ko" (CNY Year Cake") you can buy (in KL Petaling Street) ...more pics loading for those interested .. Check back

Gong Xi Fa Cai!!

Xin Nien Jin Bu (May the New Lunar Year bring us progress).

Wan Shi Ru Yi (Everything is just as what you wish)

Wo Men Du Shi Yi Jia Ren (We are all one family)

Po Jiu Lin Xin (Break the old and establish the new

(credits to Penarik Beca)

Chinese New year falls on 18th Feb 2007 and almost all Malaysians of Chinese decents would be celebrating. To the rich and well to do, everyday is CNY day and to the poor it is one day they look forward to.

For the affordable, you can have a home-cook 7- course reunion dinner for more than 4 for RM200 (with leftovers) but it is handwork and you need some cooking skills. A similar dinner (at a restaurant) would cost probably double the amount you pay for the ingredients. But you can walk-in and walk-out without lifting a finger and eat in comfort.

ABOVE: A typical 7-course dinner, TOP right; Big Prawns (RM35, 13 pcs 1/2 Kg); 1/2 Roast Duck (RM18); Promfet (RM70 1kg +); Gingko Kai Choy (Rm10); Kow Yoke (Siew Yoke & Yam slices) (RM25); Kampung Chicken (RM18) & Yee Sang (RM24) & BELOW ( The "low hei" for 4 with plenty of left overs. It is doubtful the restaurant could give you value for money

And what did PM Abdulalh said “Malaysians are fortunate to be able to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year (CNY) amid peace and in a warm, friendly and joyous atmosphere” Details H E R E.

What he forgot to add is that the poor Malaysian Chinese – the “ta kong chais” or wage earners are “celebrating” with empty pockets full of holes punctured by the government senseless hikes in all the essential basic necessities with the hike in all the prices of utilities & fuel.. What is there to celebrate with no buying power? Look around in the neglected Chinese dominated areas and villages of KL and you can hear the sob stories – “see si, ng ho” – literally in Cantonese – Times are no good. The vast majority surviving ; and many on”roti canai” breakfast. Cannot even afford that plate or bowl of wantan mee; the prices have shot up to RM3.50 – RM4.00 depending on areas. So what to do? Tighten the belt further.

ABOVE & BELOW: At the Store Supermarket, located Pudu Plaza, Pudu, Feb 1st 07 barely two weeks before the CNY, you will find more goods than people buying; the crowds were no longer there. All their pockets are sick - empty. You can drive up and find the parking lots are not fully occupied most of the time.

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ABOVE:: In contrast, the Giant Supermart, Ulu Kelang, 11 Feb 07, a week before CNY; ALL the lower prices and variety are there and BELOW: The check out counters are full and you can spot only one "pony-tail" non-Malay. Who are the people with the cash and buying powers?

And to compound the problem, that well-fed and well-spoken Feng Shui Good Luck Gold Charmer has ordained that in this year of the Pig (or Boar), on no account must you welcome the “Choy Sun Yea” – the God of Prosperity as the God would turned out to be a “Hock Sun” - an evil one. So the poor Chinese would be poor in the coming year without a glimmer of hope for some prosperity. So want to do? Buy 4-ekor (4 Digit lottery) to try your luck, and you will encounter a lost-lost situation always no win. Unlike the concessionaires theirs is a sure win-win and win again formula with all the help our Samy Vellu.

The situation is bad this year for sales. In the whole of Petaling Street, you can hardly find a pot of the "lime-trees" or kut. Though flowers are aplenty but sales were reportedly slugglish.

ABOVE & BELOW: The traditional florists along Jalan Sultan were stocking up with all sorts of varieties and the wishy washy willow "lan fa" were a plenty with no takers.
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ABOVE: The Lime tree (Kut) can be found in abundance in the Sugai Buloh nursery (RM35 - RM38 per pot)and BELOW: the unique and decorative "Chun Chee" -Pearl plant with purple coloured berries which have medicinal value; rtetailing RM88

= == = == =and how is the CNY celebrated across the Nation

February 18, 2007 17:13 PM

M'sian Chinese Usher In Lunar New Year Amid Robust Economy

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 18 (Bernama) -- Malaysian Chinese Sunday ushered in the Lunar Year amid the robust economic growth with hopes of enjoying greater prosperity all year round. As usual, the celebration began with a family dinner during which they mixed special "Yee Sang" dish which symbolises harmony and prosperity. Many also held open houses for friends of various races as well as relatives. In the capital, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, spent time with people from all walks of life who came to the open houses hosted by MCA and Gerakan. The thousands of people including foreign tourists who were there, were entertained by the lion dance performance which is a must in every Chinese New celebration.

In SELANGOR, there were not many cars on the roads as most Chinese were celebrating the new year at home with their families. The state-level Chinese New Year open house will be held at the Dong Zen Temple in Jenjarom, Kuala Langat, on Feb 20. Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo and state executive council members are expected to join about 30,000 guests including from overseas in the celebration.

In JOHOR, the recent massive floods did not dampen the sentiment of the Chinese to greet the new year with full of joy. Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman and wife Datin Prof Jamilah Ariffin and about 300 people were at the open house hosted by the Johor Baharu Chinese Federation at Wisma Tionghua.

In MELAKA, the Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Mohd Khalil Yaakob and wife Toh Puan Zurina Kassim attended the Chinese New Year open house hosted by state MCA at the Pay Fong Hall. Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam who was also there, said the state's economy that remained solid had given comfort to the people and the Melaka government had drawn up various programmes to woo more investors to the state this year.
In NEGERI SEMBILAN, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and wife Raja Datin Seri Salbiah Tengku Nujumudin were among 3,000 guests at the open house jointly hosted by state MCA and Gerakan at the Seremban Municipal Council hall.
It was the third time, the Barisan Nasional component parties hosted Chinese New Year open house jointly.
During the function, Mohamad called on the people to strengthen the solidarity so as to ensure the country's continued development and it remained peaceful.
In TERENGGANU, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh and Toh Puan Seri Che Kamariah Zakaria and about 1,000 people were at Sekolah Rendah Chung Hwa Wei Sin in Kuala Terengganu to celebrate the Chinese New Year. The weather was fine even though now was the rainy season. In PERAK, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali and wife Datin Seri Kamariah Mokri went to the open house hosted by MCA secretary-general Datuk Ong Ka Chuan who is also state MCA chairman in Rapat Setia.
About 2,500 people including state executive council members and assemblymen were there. Traffic in Ipoh, meanwhile, was smooth but shopping complexes were packed with people especially foreign workers who took time off from work.

In KEDAH, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid and wife Datin Seri Noraini Abdullah attended the open house hosted by state MCA at Sekolah Menengah Keat Hwa before proceeding to the one by Gerakan at Starcity Hotel in Alor Star. In SARAWAK, the Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abang Muhammad Salahuddin Abang Barieng and wife Toh Puan Norkiah Abdullah as well as Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud and wife Puan Sri Laila Taib were at the Sarawak United People's Party headquarters in Kuching for the open house hosted by the party. They also went to the open house hosted by the Kuching Selatan City Council. Tomorrow, Abdul Taib was expected to go to several open houses hosted by Chinese community leaders in Miri.
In PENANG, about 20,000 people including foreign tourists came to the Chinese New Year open house hosted by Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon and state executive council members at Kota Cornwallis. Also present were the Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas and Toh Puan Majimor Shariff, members of Parliament and foreign diplomats.

In SABAH, Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman attended several open houses in Sandakan.Among them were those hosted by State Infrastructure Development Minister Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah, assemblyman Elopura Au Kam Wah, state MCA chairman Datuk Edward Khoo, Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and Liberal Democratic Party.

= = == For the latest post, Go H E R E ON

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..more stories & pics (Petaling Street) in another coming post .. Check back later