Seven Chinese associations jointly hosted lunch for over 2,000 guests to celebrate the Year of the Dragon in Kuala Lumpur.
The “Jia Chen Year Chinese New Year Luncheon” was held at the banquet hall of Wisma KTC (Kwong Tong Cemetery).
Guests included KTC’s staff, business partners as well as political and media figures.
Among those present were Cheras MP Tan Kok Wai, Seputeh MP Teresa Kok and Federal Territory MCA liaison committee chairman Datuk Seri Yew Teong Look.
The head of China’s Consular and Overseas Chinese Affairs Office Yu Tianxiang was among international guests who attended the luncheon.
Community leaders included Chong Hwa Independent High School president Tan Sri Lim Keng Cheng, Federation of Chinese Associations Malaysia assistant general secretary Yong Yew Wei and Joint Committee of Kuala Lumpur Chinese Cemeteries president Zhuang Wenlai.
Other guests included Media Chinese International Limited group senior general manager Yeoh Yee Soon and China Press editor-in-chief Lim Sue Goan.
During the event, KTC president Lee Chun Kong revealed plans to invite cemetery organisations nationwide to join in the commemoration of civilian casualties in Malaya during the Second World War.
He said KTC would also visit the Guangdong Province Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese to invite its representatives to commemoration events.
Lee told guests how KTC independently funded the construction of the Malayan World War II People’s Memorial Monument and Peace Park in 2018.
In 2019, KTC encouraged cemetery and community organisations to participate in the commemoration aimed at promoting peace and harmony instead of war.
That same year, KTC applied to the National Heritage Department to be listed as a cultural heritage but found that the cemetery had already been recognised as a “Heritage Element in Kuala Lumpur” in the Kuala Lumpur Structure Plan 2020 that was gazetted in 2018.
The cemetery was subsequently gazetted as a heritage site in 2023.
Lee also announced the reconstruction of KTC’s funeral parlour that was built 17 years ago, to provide better services at affordable prices.
“This is in line with the aim of KTC which has been operating independently and on a voluntary basis for more than 130 years,” said Lee.
The seven Chinese associations which co-organised the lunch are The Association of Kwong Tong Cemetery Kuala Lumpur, Selangor & Kuala Lumpur associations for the Char Yong, Ka Yin, Teo Chew, Fui Chiu, Hainan Association and Kwong Siew communities.
Association representatives also took the opportunity to donate RM500,000 to Kuala Lumpur Chinese Independent High School’s co-curricular activity centre.
Women’s groups from six associations performed during the event while lunch was prepared by Restaurant Bali Sand.
