Chinese New Year in Sarawak a celebration beyond race, says activist

KUCHING (Feb 22): Saya Anak Sarawak founder Peter John Jaban has expressed hope that the spirit of openness and shared celebration seen during festivities in Sarawak continues to thrive across all communities.

In a statement marking Chinese New Year, he said the occasion reflects a unique sense of belonging that transcends race and ethnicity.

“Every year when Chinese New Year arrives in Sarawak, I am reminded of something powerful — celebration here has never belonged to one race alone. It is a festival beyond ethnicity, a shared experience,” he said.

Recalling his childhood, Peter John said Chinese New Year was never viewed as an exclusive celebration.

“Growing up, Chinese New Year was never ‘their’ festival. It was ours,” he said, describing memories of visiting homes adorned with red lanterns, enjoying reunion dinners, and participating in the tossing of yee sang with friends from various communities.

He noted that unity in Sarawak is not staged or campaign-driven, but part of daily life, with Iban families celebrating alongside Chinese neighbours, Malay friends attending open houses, and Christian, Buddhist, and Muslim Chinese observing the season in ways that respect both faith and tradition.

Peter added that he has witnessed Muslim Chinese families blending Islamic faith with Chinese cultural heritage while maintaining religious obligations and honouring ancestral customs such as pantang, ang pow exchanges, and reunion dinners.

He also highlighted how children of mixed parentage, including those with European features, grow up speaking local dialects and embracing Chinese New Year as part of their Sarawakian identity.

“Even more striking are children of mixed parentage, some with European features, what we casually call ‘Ang Mo Lang’ or ‘orang putih’.

Fair skin, sharp features, yet speaking in local slang, laughing in Foochow and Hokkien or Iban, eagerly celebrating Chinese New Year as if it is written into their bones.

“Their presence quietly declares that in Sarawak, belonging is not about appearance, it is about who you stand with. Some Iban families celebrate Chinese New Year because some have intermarried and their closest friends are Chinese. Some simply grew up together.

“Here in Sarawak, relationships are stronger than racial lines,” he said.

He added that it is not unusual to see young Iban boys performing lion dances with precision and energy, or Sarawakian Indians conversing fluently in Hokkien while joining in festive gatherings.

According to him, multiculturalism in Sarawak is practised naturally in longhouses, towns, and neighbourhoods, where open houses often thoughtfully prepare halal food and participation in each other’s celebrations comes without hesitation.

“In a world increasingly divided by identity, Sarawak quietly teaches something profound. Every Chinese New Year here is not just a celebration of a new lunar cycle — it is a celebration of shared humanity,” he said, adding that such unity represents the true prosperity of Sarawak.