The day we become a single Malaysian race

I have celebrated Chinese New Year my entire life. And being a Malay Muslim and living in Malaysia, I feel myself very unique and special for doing so.

It is not hard to understand why. I have Chinese and Malay blood in me. My grandmother on my mother's side is Chinese and the ethnic influence is very strong.

My brothers and I all speak Cantonese (however poor our pronunciation is) and when we speak English, we are very easily mistaken for being Chinese because of our accent.

When I was in primary school, some Malay classmates would tease me and say that I am committing a sin by celebrating Chinese New Year and collecting ang pows.

At first I was confused, but very quickly I realised that they were all just stupid and did not know what they were talking about. I was proud of that.

Of course, our family celebrated Hari Raya too and so did all our Chinese relatives who would gather at our house every single year without even needing an invitation.

And as how life naturally is, my Chinese grandmother eventually died and this year is the second Chinese New Year without her being with us.

So now, during Chinese New Year's eve, we joke that we are really just a bunch of Malays flipping salmon in plum sauce with chopsticks and gulping down “chai choy” without any real reason to do so!

The pure Chinese immediate family member is gone. But it is alright. We have her blood running in our veins. And we still celebrate the first and second day with the entire Ang clan.

And what makes me even more proud is the fact that our huge clan celebrates every single main Malaysian festival because we are marrying all kinds of people.

We have Malays, Chinese, Indians, Muslims, Buddhists, Taoists, Hindus, Christians and more in our family. And the circle seems to just get bigger and bigger.

The tradition that we have celebrating our melting pot of cultures and religions will hopefully never die and continue through the generations.

Initially, I was proud that I was so unique compared with all my other friends and acquaintances as I celebrated various festivals. But I feel differently now.

I want to feel even more proud once every single person in Malaysia celebrates every single festival in the country because we have become, and identify as, a single Malaysian race.

Al-Fatihah to my dear grandmother Ang Swee Poh (we visit her grave during Hari Raya and Chinese New Year) and happy Chinese New Year to all Malaysians. Kong Hei Fatt Choy! – February 20, 2015.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.