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Posts Tagged ‘Federal Territories’

We are lucky to be Malaysians, because Malaysia is a multi-racial country, and because of that, we have the privilege to celebrate and experience different festive seasons throughout the entire year. Every year, we celebrate Chinese New Year, one of the main festive seasons.

This year is the Year of the Tiger. Seen as a custodian of wealth and protector from evil, the Tiger is much admired as an icon of leadership, courage, dynamism, vitality and power.

The Chinese New Year this year is special because it shares a date with Valentines Day (Feb 14 2010), which happens only 4 times in 100 years.

The shopping malls in Malaysia are covered in vibrant decorations with the colour red, which signifies happiness, prosperity and love.

There will also be stunning and entertaining performances for everyone to enjoy.

So, come and get to know the Chinese culture by visiting these malls.

Pavilion

Official website http://www.pavilion-kl.com

Themed “Illuminate with Prosperity and Splendorous Style” this Chinese New Year, the Pavilion mall is filled with eye-catching decorations from 18 January to 28 February.

The celebration was launched by Federal Territories and Urban Well-being Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik on 18 January.

Coincidentally, the Pavilion was also celebrating its 2nd Anniversary, which falls on 31 January 2010.

The main hall was decorated with lots of Chinese Pine trees.
 
Pine trees are time-honoured symbols for strength and longevity due to its endurance even in the harshest weather conditions. 
 
There are many booths selling Chinese stuff. Are these real models? They are actually dough figurines by Zhang Ren Sheng.

The 3D figurines are really realistic!

Ahmad from Qatar was convinced by Zhang Ren Sheng’s figuring skill. So he got himself “dough-figured”.
 
The final result looks very satisfying and memorable!
 
Lim Chai Yin, 9, being drawn by a professional portrait painter, Li Yong Fu.

In the process of drawing the hair…

Almost done…

The final result! Really realistic! Thanks to Mr. Li Yong Fu from China.
 
Chinese shadow puppetry figures are also available.

If you like, you can buy some to entertain your children or friends.

From this table, you can understand what different Chinese symbols represent (e.g. Mandarin Duck = Happiness in Marriage).

Chinese believe some stones can bring luck and good fortune.
 
A close-up look of the stones.
 
You can get your name engraved on some of these stones too.
 
If you need to see more Chinese accessories for Chinese New Year, you can go to Tang. Here, Chinese umbrellas for real use or for decorations are for sale.
 
Are you interested to get these giant golden groundnuts for decoration?
 
Because this year is the year of the tiger, Chinese like to buy tiger models to bring good luck to their homes. Mandarin oranges and ripe limes represent gold.
 
Remember to take pictures of yourself with Chinese New Year decorations at the main entrance before you leave!

Three 16-year-old girls from SMK Puteri Ampang, Abid, Bella, Sarah (from left to right), wanted to enjoy the decorations and the atmosphere of this CNY.
 
These lanterns at the entrance are hanging beautifully. Pretty flowers are also abundant.
 
Outside the mall was decorated with beautiful Plum Blossoms, which is one of the most beloved flowers of China. The reason for this is because it blooms most vibrantly during the winter, after most other plants have shed their leaves, and before other flowers appear. They are regarded as a symbol of resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity.
 

Sungei Wang Plaza

Official website http://www.sungeiwang.com

At the main entrance of the Sungei Wang Plaza, two beautifully crafted pavilions enclosed with red cloth draped across its rock-like structures are set to welcome visitors. Handcrafted Chinese Pines were abundant too.
 
Sungei Wang is also ushering in the year of the Tiger by putting realistic tiger models at its Center Stage with auspicious lanterns glowing beautifully.
  
Handmade pine trees fixed in a scenic background setting creates a poetic landscape found only in classic Chinese paintings.

Adjacent to the stage is a Chinese art exhibition – Chinese calligraphy, paper cutting, knotting, tea ware and many more!
  
There was a lion string puppet too! When you pull the strings, a mini lion dance will entertain your friends and family.

Enjoy an unforgettable performance of skill, flexibility and balance by China’s all-time favourite acrobats from China Oriental Art Troupe, as they perform thrilling stunts. So don’t miss out the amazing stunts there that are sure to make your jaw drop!

Urn Balancing. I hope it won’t drop!

Marvelous balancing skills! I can never do that!

Awesome agility skills! I can’t stop my jaw from dropping!

Below are the videos of the awesome feats. I’m sure you will enjoy them as much as I did.

Mid Valley Megamall

Official website http://www.midvalley.com.my

The centre court of the Mid Valley Megamall has been transformed into a lotus garden with dragonflies surrounding big huge red lotus leaves which represents luck and wealth.
 
Amidst the garden was a tall pagoda with detailed Chinese designs.

There were also lion dance performances with some acrobatics that entertained children as well as adults.

The lion dance is coming to town!

There were also artful dragon dance performances.
 
Below is the video of the lion and dragon dance performances. Enjoy!

There were also beautiful peonies for sale. They represent good fortune, romance and a happy marriage.
 
Doesn’t this tiger look real? Well, it is because it is actually designed with fur. This is really the year of the Tiger! Haha!
 

Suria KLCC

Official website http://www.suriaklcc.com.my/

At the heart of Suria KLCC, a famous landmark shopping destination just below the Petronas Twin Towers, there were vibrant decorations too, like silk peonies.
 
There was also a cute and bold little girl, Xie Niu Niu, 3, from China, who danced to the Chinese New Year themed background music.

Berjaya Times Square

Official website http://www.timessquarekl.com 

At the Berjaya Times Square, shop lots also decorated their shops with red festive decorations too to wish their customers a happy Chinese New Year!
 

At the entrance, there was a traditional rickshaw. People love to have photos taken of them sitting on the rickshaw. Wouldn’t you?

The Lower Ground Concourse was filled with beautiful ancient Chinese architecture with stylistic shone arched buildings of sloping roofs, bringing you “Memories of Glitz and Glamour”, as it is themed.
   
You will enjoy the art and craft of Chinese culture if you visit the shops there. Below is the delicate paper cuttings.

Just look at how delicate and beautiful they are!

I’m really astonished by the paper cuttings because it’s complex and concise!

I love “The Circle of Life” below most.
 
All the hard work is done by Mr. Zhang Jun Wei.
 
Below are the intricate dough figurines. They look cute and yummy to me, but it is not eatable!

Proudly done by Zhang Su Xeng.

The beautiful Chinese knotting and Tiger pillows are handmade by Tai Xue Chin. The knots act as good luck charms.
 
These pair of fish symbolizes abundance. It can brighten up your home.

You can get your name, English or Mandarin, carved on a stone.

The final result!

It belongs to 13-year-old Yao Jia Hao.
 
There was also Xuns on sale. Xuns are gobular flutes made of ceramic or clay. Let’s watch and hear Liu Fang playing it! The smaller the Xun, the higher the tune.

Consider yourself lucky if you happen to bump into the Eight Immortals at the stage, because they will be giving red packets filled with surprises, like cash vouchers. 

Exciting performances by children will surely entertain you!
 
And also other children!
 
They are really cheerful, intelligent, professional and talented girls!

The Chinese are famous for their hard work, perseverance and determination. During the Chinese New Year, the Chinese become a people of creativity. They like to associate everything that can symbolize health, wealth and longevity in order to bring hope that the future ahead is auspicious, joyful, and harmonious.

Join in the festive-inspired activities, which are ‘funtastic’ and action-packed. Remember to watch the mesmerizing dance and musical performances, earth-shaking lion dances,and jaw-dropping acrobatic performances.

Also, you can enjoy a vibrant mix of shopping offers, bringing you more excitement from life plants to festive goodies and treats.

The splendor and the ethereal beauty of the malls with intricate cultural Chinese designs will surely brighten your holiday and enhance your knowledge on the Malaysian Chinese.

So, try not to stay at home this February! Come to the malls and indulge yourself in the joy of the festive season!

Happy Chinese New Year!

Wishing everyone a hopeful and successful 2010!

February 1 is when the Federal Territories (FT) Day is celebrated.

Themed “1 Wilayah Persekutuan Maju dan Sejahtera” this year, the event was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on February 1 (Midnight) at the Independence Square (Dataran Merdeka).
 
Above, from left to right,

1. Tan Sri Dato’ Haji Muhyiddin bin Mohd. Yassin, Deputy Prime Minister
2. Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, First Lady of Malaysia
3. Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia
4. Datin Nafesah Raja Nong Chik, Wife of Datuk Nong Chik
5. Datuk Raja Nong Chik bin Datuk Raja Zainal Abidin, Minister of the Federal Territories and Urban Well-being

Above 2 pictures by Najib Razak.

Dataran Merdeka is a famous and distinguished landmark in Malaysia, where Malaysia was granted independence on August 31 1957.
 
The 95-metre flagpole at the Independence Square is one of the tallest in the world. Wow! Whenever we see this flagpole, let us cherish the 1Malaysia spirit… unity in diversity.
 
The concept of 1Malaysia is greatly shown in this FT Day celebration because the activities includes all the difference races in Malaysia. Malaysia is really a country where different races unite and live peacefully with one another!

The Federal Territories Day’s Eve (31 January) was filled with concerts featuring local artistes, cultural presentations and fireworks at night.

Photo by Aly AsySyafiq Hashim.

The Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced the newly-established 1Malaysia Maintenance Fund (TP 1Malaysia) for maintenance of low-cost housing units and flats.

Nong Chik said in conjunction with the Federal Territories Day, his ministry will be giving out cash aid to the poor starting from this month.

“Our focus will be on the poor and this is the first time we are giving out cash aid in conjunction with FT Day,” he said.

“For example, our ministry will be allocating RM5mil to the TP 1Malaysia fund.”
 
10 million ringgit is contributed by the generous KL City Hall to the TP 1Malaysia fund.
 
The Government of Malaysia contributed 20 million to TP 1Malaysia. Wow!
 
Other companies have also contributed to the TP 1Malaysia fund.

The total amount received by TP 1Malaysia was RM 37,670,000.00 (37.67 million).
FT Cares!

The above 6 pictures by Najib Razak.

The celebration continued in the morning. The events attracted many curious and excited tourists and spectators. Were you one of the spectators too?

The events started off at 8:30am, with the KL Ride 2010, a bicycle ride which covered a distance of 13 km! It was held in conjunction with the Le Tour de Langkawi.

A very excited cyclist .
 
I think the participants below look smart with their sunglasses.

Another event that attracted a really huge crowd was the Foot Drill competition, which a total of 28 schools participated, comprising of various uniformed bodies.

It was held just next to the clock tower of the Sultan Abdul Samad building, which provided a cool shelter for the crowd in the morning.
 
Another event that attracted a lot of spectators, especially children, is the Tarik Upih (literally pull Pinang tree frond) competitions.

It is a fun traditional game in which competitors compete by pulling a Pinang frond with their partner seated on it. After reaching the finish line, they switched places and pulled their partner back to the starting point.

A girl trying to pull her partner back to the starting point. Could she make it?

Another Malay traditional game is Galah Panjang. It is played on an even ground. One team is the runners, and the other team is the taggers. The runners need to get past the taggers without being touched by them in order to win.
 
Even tourists didn’t want to miss out the exciting Galah Panjang sport!

On the big stage, there was a special event for the leaders of tomorrow – Children’s 1Malaysia Traditional Costume Fashion.

They wore clothing of the different races in Malaysia – Malays, Indians and Chinese. Some of the children even wore clothes that combined elements from multiple races! Creative!

The cute participants of the fashion show.
 
Three joyous boys.

The 1Malaysia spirit!
 
Truly, the spirit of 1Malaysia should be inculcated in children when their minds are pure and open! Friendship and harmony are precious in life. 

Every participant were given about 2 minutes to act out what they were dressed as. Here is Amirul Asyraf bin Othman as the Sultan of Malacca performing "Silat”, a Malay martial art, with a “Kris”, a traditional Malay weapon.
 
The disabled were not left out. The Malaysian Paralympic Council, Masterskill College, Welfare Depart­ment and UITM Shah Alam, had fun activities for them, like Wheelchair Basketball.
 

“It is good to let the public interact with the disabled and learn about the difficulties faced by their community,”

- Programme coordinator of the day, G. Mohan.

There were quizzes for primary school children too. The winner gets a goodie bag.
 

In the morning, people flocked to the Nestle Nesvita truck to drink some free Nesvita milk as their additional nutrition. In the hot afternoon with blazing sun, there was cold Milo for everyone! So timely! Thanks to Nestle!
 
The misty fans around kept us cool and misty!
 
So refreshing!
 
A paintball “war” was going on too! If you like the computer game “Counterstrike”, then you would love this paintball game very much!

Spectators witnessing the game with anticipation – Real action of shoot – hide – seek – shoot!

I did not miss out the opportunity to try it out too! So I tried to aim at the targets and shoot the paintball out.
 
BANG!
 
The paintball was free for everyone to try. You could get 10 shots for free.

The celebration continued with the Family Cooking Competition and a Husband and Wife make-up session. The winners for the Children’s 1Malaysia Traditional Costume Fashion Show and the Foot Drill competition were also announced later that day.

Other than all these, the Federal Territories Day celebrations this year has month-long events lined up.

On every weekend this February 2010 (except the Chinese New Year weekend), there would be events at different venues for the people.

Click here to read the list of all the events. You can also click here to go to the official website of the Ministry of the Federal Territories and Urban-wellbeing.

The Minister of the Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing, Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin said:

“The most important thing about this celebration is the 1Malaysia concept and activities that involve all the races.”

He was also interviewed exclusively by Bernama recently in conjunction with the Federal Territories Day.

He said that Kuala Lumpur will be adding a network of covered walkways to its landscape starting with the walkway connecting Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) and the nearby Bukit Bintang commercial district. Wow! I’m looking forward to enjoying it!

He also told Bernama that getting rid of poverty in the city will be top on the list for the Ministry of Federal Territories and Urban Well-Being as the government shifts its focus to help the needy in towns as well.

Other than that, he said that assistance and skills enhancement for school children will be taken care of.

As a caring minister, Raja Nong Chik said that conducted regular and informal visits to the ground to listen to the people’s problems. What a considerate minister!

He said he knows the basic problems faced by the urbanites because he has been politically involved in the Federal Territories for about 20 years.

“When I was appointed to lead the ministry, I use the 7P Philosophy to help me focus on the job,” he said.

The 7P Philosophy is made of seven aspects – development, housing, maintenance, hawkers, enforcement, public transportation and caring attitude.

As a result of this caring attitude, the minister had also expanded the scope of the Federal Territories Foundation to help the people.

He hoped that the 36th Federal Territories Day celebration would give a new spirit for the people to work closely with the ministry to improve and develop the territories while reducing political controversies.

Also, on 31 January, he and his wife, Datin Nafisah attended the pre-Chinese New Year celebration involving 150 multi-racial old folks aged between 65 and 101 from Lembah Jaya, organized by Lembah Jaya MCA division.

The senior citizens were treated to delicious brunch at Fatty Chong Restaurant in Taman Seri Sentosa, Old Klang Road.

IMAGE: Datin Nafisah chatting with the oldest citizen, Chong Kew, 101, at the celebration. (Picture by TheStar)

He said that such celebrations promoted unity among the different races in the community.

So, happy Federal Territory Day! Hope to see you at the coming events!