It is the beginning of the Lunar New Year or Chinese New Year, the first day of the first month, which is celebrated for 15 days.
It is the time of the year for family reunion dinners, lion dance performances, Mandarin oranges and ang pow.
And firecrackers. They are banned in the country by the government due to a reason or two.
But once upon a time, Malaysians were allowed to light them up during the Chinese New Year as a part of tradition and custom. It was normal to hear firecrackers set off during the day and at night.
Although banned, there are times when one can still hear strings of firecrackers being set off during the auspicious day and even during other major festivals in the country.
They were probably bought on the black market from part-time traders who, in turn, obtained them from smugglers who brought the contraband items from neighbouring countries.
These traders make a quick buck by selling a packet of firecrackers many times the original cost they paid for.
If memory serves me right, the government had, in 1989, lifted the ban on one condition — the firecrackers were set off on the first day of the new moon and on the last day of the full moon, the 15th day or Chap Goh Meh.
A few years later, the government reinstated the ban — which is still in force today.
This year, some Chinese associations had called for the government to lift the ban temporarily to allow firecrackers to be set off for the whole 15 days of celebrations.
If the government is in favour of the request, I hope they are only allowed to be set off in the day and not the middle of the night for obvious reasons.
In the meantime, I hope the Chinese New Year celebrations will be observed harmoniously and peacefully just like in previous years — with or without firecrackers.
To all my fellow Malaysians, Gong Xi! Gong Xi! May the country and its people prosper throughout the year. Let us all celebrate the Chinese New Year together – Malaysian-style.
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