Being Muslim, I appreciate my Chinese roots more, says ex-playboy model

Former Playboy model Felixia Yeap, now a faithful Muslim celebrating Chinese New Year for the cultural celebration that it is. – Pic courtesy of Raisyyah Rania Yeap, February 20, 2015.It has been eight months since former Playboy model Felixia Yeap embraced Islam. Her action at the time drew different reactions from both Muslims and non-Muslims, with some accusing her of pulling a publicity stunt.

But, the 28-year-old from Ipoh who now goes by her Muslim name Raisyyah Rania Yeap or Rara, said that her decision was made with pure and good intentions.

Being Muslim, however, will not stop her from celebrating the Chinese New Year (CNY) and joining her family for the traditional reunion dinner, she told The Malaysian Insider in an exclusive interview recently.

She added that this first year of celebrating the lunar new year as a Muslim has made her appreciate her Chinese roots more.

The following are excerpts from the interview in which she talks about the festivities and traditions of the Lunar New Year.

TMI: CNY is not a religious festival but more of a cultural celebration. What is your take on this? How do you celebrate it and make sure that it does not clash with your beliefs as a Muslim. There are some rituals and prayers conducted during the CNY, how do you observe this?

Rara: Yes, I agree that most of the CNY celebrations have nothing to do with religion or religious beliefs, but instead a celebration of the New Year in Chinese calendar infused with colourful Chinese culture.

Even back when I had no religious belief (atheist/freethinker), I was almost never involved in the praying ceremonies or rituals. I believe I am not the only one, as the prayers and rituals are conducted mostly by the elderly nowadays.

Thus, being a Muslim now does not seem to be much different than how things were pre-shahadah.

TMI: As a Muslim what are the things that you will not do or avoid being part of in celebrating CNY?

Rara: I enjoy the cultural celebration like others, but I ensure that it does not conflict with my religion, such as avoiding all things forbidden – gambling, non-halal food, prayers, rituals and alcohol. I did not gamble or drink before I converted to Islam, so things will be easier and there is not much to avoid for me.

TMI: There will be a big reunion dinner with the family. What is the food arrangement like for you with your family? Some families have pork as their main dishes. How about yours?

Rara: Yes, that would be the much-awaited Reunion Dinner, or in Cantonese, "Tuen Yuen Farn". We are Hakka, so we had all those Hakka dishes as we have had every year on the dinner table. Yes, this includes roast pork with lettuce dipped in sweet sauce, which is one of the family's favourites.

As for me, my mum had prepared new cooking utensils for me to cook my own halal food from home, and I brought my cooked food to consume with the family on the table.

It's still the same, just that I am consuming different dishes than the rest. It's a symbol of togetherness for the whole family every CNY to sit down and eat together, and it's very important for all Chinese families on that night especially. The food is just food to fill our tummies. My grandma understands this and she just wants me to eat at the same table with everyone, even if I am eating different food.

TMI: What is it about CNY that you like?

Rara: The feeling of having everyone home and being all noisy and chaotic... hahaha! It’s nice to see all family members gathered in the living room and laughing together at silly jokes, and also a great time to catch up with all my childhood friends. Oh, not to forget the joy of being back in the kampung with fresh air too.

TMI: Tell us a bit about your CNY preparations, how long a break do you usually take to spend CNY with family?

Rara: Before I converted to Islam, I used to spend only four or five days maximum every CNY in my hometown. My excuse then was that I wanted to get back to work and get more jobs.

However, this year onwards and after embracing Islam, I want to ensure that I will spend at least seven to 10 days with my family every year, especially for CNY. I would love to spend more time with my family after giving my work priority for so many years.

I realised after an incident that life is short and I am grateful that I can still cherish them. As for CNY decorations, my mum seldom decorates our home, as we would be spending most of the time at my grandma's place in the kampung. We would just clean the house together before CNY and put up some lanterns.

TMI: What are the differences in how you celebrate CNY now compared with before you became a Muslim.

Rara: I used to buy clothes from the stores and wanted to wear the most fashionable and latest trending clothes for CNY. But now, after my first Raya experience last year and being introduced to the Malay culture of getting own fabric and making their own Raya outfits, I am more excited to design and make my own jubah and outfits for CNY with Chinese motifs and styles.

It actually got me interested to check out and learn Chinese traditional outfits and get my inspiration from there, with of course, Islamic values intact in the designs. You'd be amazed to know that most Chinese traditional wear is very similar to jubah style and they are loose and baggy, just like how Muslimah women are supposed to wear.

Fortunately, I'd say I am learning to appreciate my Chinese roots even more now. Alhamdulillah. – February 20, 2015.Former playboy model Felixia Yeap is seen here after addressing an audience of 2,000 in Shah Alam on June 27 last year, of her intention to embrace Islam. – The Malaysian Insider pic, February 20, 2015.