Published in New Straits Times
01 Jan 2007
Ushering in New Year with pizzazz
By Mazlinda Mahmood, David Yeow and Max Koh
KUALA LUMPUR: Michael Lee ushered in the New Year in style, puffing on a freshly-rolled cigar and twirling an expensive brandy in his hand.
The cigar was rolled by an expert, a Cuban roller flown in for the extravagant party at a five-star hotel in the city.
The Cuban's services probably set his host back anything between RM10,000 and RM20,000, Lee said.
"I felt like I'd made it this year," said the media consultant.
"The upper crust drank high-end wines which cost up to RM25,000 a bottle and ate oysters, canapes, caviar and foie gras. They also flew in entertainers from overseas."
Alia Abdul Halim, 15, of Damansara was with her family in California. The Sri KDU student, whose father is a businessman, was one of many Malaysians ushering in the New Year overseas.
Acorn Communications' managing partner, Anthony Nathan, 39, said there were people who spent between RM10,000 and RM150,000 to organise New Year eve parties.
He heard of a Datuk who chartered a plane to countdown the New Year with families and friends on top of the world.
But for most, the celebrations were more down to earth. Many went to parties or just hung out with friends.
Some went to temples to seek blessings for the new year. Yet, others stayed home and spent time with their loved ones.
Ahmad Shahril, 23, celebrated the New Year with friends at the KLCC.
Ahmad, who is from Raub, Pahang, used to greet the New Year at the Dataran Raub with his family in previous years.
Zaitun Khairan, 64, from Muar, usually took the children for holidays or picnics.
This year, however, the family had a kenduri on New Year's eve as it coincided with Aidiladha.
Loganthiran Munisamy, 32, invited his parents and in-laws over for dinner on New Year's eve. He also took his family to the temple to seek blessings for the new year.
Universiti Malaya's professor emeritus Datuk Dr Khoo Kay Kim said in the past, each race would celebrate the new year according to their cultural and religious calendar and only Christians and the English-educated celebrated new year's day.
"Also due to economic constraints, Malaysians in the past could only afford to celebrate one new year and it made sense to celebrate their own," he said.
"Countdowns and celebrating the New Year are very much a Western influence. Because of the exposure to Western pop culture, celebrating the New Year has become popular and accepted locally."
National chief Scouts commissioner Datuk Dr Kamarudin Kachar, 73, recalled that when he was living in the kampung 40 years ago, New Year's day was just like any other day.
Retired teacher Ronnie Wong, 64, said in the old days only people in the city celebrated the New Year.
"We had to organise our own New Year's eve dance. Nightclubs were few and very expensive," he added.
01 Jan 2007
Ushering in New Year with pizzazz
By Mazlinda Mahmood, David Yeow and Max Koh
KUALA LUMPUR: Michael Lee ushered in the New Year in style, puffing on a freshly-rolled cigar and twirling an expensive brandy in his hand.
The cigar was rolled by an expert, a Cuban roller flown in for the extravagant party at a five-star hotel in the city.
The Cuban's services probably set his host back anything between RM10,000 and RM20,000, Lee said.
"I felt like I'd made it this year," said the media consultant.
"The upper crust drank high-end wines which cost up to RM25,000 a bottle and ate oysters, canapes, caviar and foie gras. They also flew in entertainers from overseas."
Alia Abdul Halim, 15, of Damansara was with her family in California. The Sri KDU student, whose father is a businessman, was one of many Malaysians ushering in the New Year overseas.
Acorn Communications' managing partner, Anthony Nathan, 39, said there were people who spent between RM10,000 and RM150,000 to organise New Year eve parties.
He heard of a Datuk who chartered a plane to countdown the New Year with families and friends on top of the world.
But for most, the celebrations were more down to earth. Many went to parties or just hung out with friends.
Some went to temples to seek blessings for the new year. Yet, others stayed home and spent time with their loved ones.
Ahmad Shahril, 23, celebrated the New Year with friends at the KLCC.
Ahmad, who is from Raub, Pahang, used to greet the New Year at the Dataran Raub with his family in previous years.
Zaitun Khairan, 64, from Muar, usually took the children for holidays or picnics.
This year, however, the family had a kenduri on New Year's eve as it coincided with Aidiladha.
Loganthiran Munisamy, 32, invited his parents and in-laws over for dinner on New Year's eve. He also took his family to the temple to seek blessings for the new year.
Universiti Malaya's professor emeritus Datuk Dr Khoo Kay Kim said in the past, each race would celebrate the new year according to their cultural and religious calendar and only Christians and the English-educated celebrated new year's day.
"Also due to economic constraints, Malaysians in the past could only afford to celebrate one new year and it made sense to celebrate their own," he said.
"Countdowns and celebrating the New Year are very much a Western influence. Because of the exposure to Western pop culture, celebrating the New Year has become popular and accepted locally."
National chief Scouts commissioner Datuk Dr Kamarudin Kachar, 73, recalled that when he was living in the kampung 40 years ago, New Year's day was just like any other day.
Retired teacher Ronnie Wong, 64, said in the old days only people in the city celebrated the New Year.
"We had to organise our own New Year's eve dance. Nightclubs were few and very expensive," he added.
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