Ms Margaret Soo, Vice President for the Group Corporate Affairs (centre) together with participants for the Chinese Calligraphy competition, and the Chinese Cultural Society committee members.

Ms Margaret Soo writes an auspicious Chinese New Year greeting during the Chinese Calligraphy competition.

Ms Margaret Soo together with organisers of the event, (left) Bryan Lay from the Student Affairs Office and Ms Vun Vui Fui, club advisor for the Chinese Cultural Society.

Kuala Lumpur, 16 February, 2011 - More than 100 UCSI University students and staff took part in a massive “Yee Sang” prosperity toss to celebrate Chinese New Year. The tradition involves creating a salad by a communal toss of vegetables, raw fish and sauces to eat to bring good luck for the new year. 

The event, organised by the Chinese Cultural Society (CCS) and the University’s Student Affairs Office also included a Chinese Calligraphy competition andan exhibition with information on Chinese culture, traditions and symbology. 

During the event, Ms Margaret Soo, Vice President of Group Corporate Affairs, said the Yee Sang tradition actually originated in Malaysia (then Malaya), though is often mistaken as a practice from mainland China. She said the tradition was started by southern Chinese immigrants to Malaya who had to make a quick meal with the little resources available to them, mainly vegetables and raw fish. She said the term “yue sheng” (鱼生) rhymes with the Mandarin word for “spared life” (余生), which is then translated into Cantonese as “yee sang.”

“This has since become a much-cherished communal meal to celebrate their new life,” she said. 

Today, the Yee Sang is a truly unique aspect of Malaysian and Singaporean culture which is enjoyed by Malaysians and Singaporeans from all ethnic backgrounds when they meet for a meal during Chinese New Year. The Yee Sang salad also symbolises abundance and prosperity and is a mainstay for those who celebrate the Chinese New Year in Malaysia. 

Chinese New Year is traditionally celebrated for 15 days and is a huge occasion at the University, where a significant number of its students are of Chinese descent, including 10 percent from mainland China. The University also has students from Indonesia, Mauritius and Vietnam who also celebrate the holiday.