A night of fun and festivity

TENS of thousands of people jammed-packed Jalan Raja Uda in Butterworth, Penang, to attend two mammoth events held in conjunction with the upcoming Chinese New Year.

In welcoming the Chinese Lunar Year of the Dragon this year, dragon dances and dragon-themed structures were the main attraction at both events.

Over at the Tow Boo Kong Temple, a bottle-constructed ‘Ambient Dragon’ sculpture and a giant inflatable ‘Flying Dragon’ took centre stage during the Miao Hui (Temple Fair) 2012 there.

Over at the Tan Si Eng Chuan Tong Clan Association on Jalan Kampung Paya nearby, a mammoth crowd attended the Bagan MCA division’s Chinese New Year Carnival 2012 celebrations.

MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, who opened the event, joined about 1,300 line dancers in a brief dance stint before checking out the many activity booths and stalls.

■ Healthy activity: Liow (in red, right) , Dr. Tan Chuan Hong (Organising Chairman), MCA Bagan Division Chairman Loo Khay Thye, Bagan Barisan Nasional co-ordinator David Chua (next to Liow) and Sum Yoo Keong joining the line dancers during the Bagan MCA Chinese New Year Carnival at Dewan Tan Si Eng Chuan Tong on Jalan Kampung Paya, Butterworth.

Led by line dance instructor Lily Tan, the participants, who danced to 20 songs, came from as far as Taiping, Parit Buntar, Sungai Petani, Kulim and Alor Setar.

Liow also witnessed a dragon dance presentation, wushu and karate-do demonstrations as well as several Chinese cultural dances by Super Shape Fitness Centre, Tadika Kaliber and pupils from SJK(C) Kwang Wah Butterworth.

Some 40-odd children from private tutoring institute, Tan Educations from Taman Riang, Butterworth, captivated the audience through five endearing dance performances.

In keeping with the 1Malaysia spirit, the people were treated to several traditional Indian and Malay dances, as Liow later cut and distributed a 1Malaysia cake prepared by the state Information Department.

There were also several booths providing health care products and services, while the 1Malaysia Community Alliance Foundation was at hand to take down public complaints.





Popular Chinese comic characters Lao Fu Tze and Big Potato as well as the Health Ministry’s Germ Buster mascot also posed for photos with the people.

Liow later presented 5kg bags of rice to 251 needy senior citizens from the Bagan parliamentary constituency.

from The Star, Tuesday January 17, 2012

By DERRICK VINESH & HAN KAR KAY

more photo at : http://www.facebook.com/mcabagan