A VIRALLED video clip of a Muslim family engaging in lou hei yee sang (prosperity salad toss) during their iftar (fast-breaking) has tickled the hearts of many.
Although certain quarters may disagree with their method of breaking fast to the extent of politicising it, the fact remains that it is heartwarming to see the family incorporating what is deemed a Chinese lunar new year tradition, hence living up to the multi-ethnical Malaysia concept.
“Mereka pun mau lou sang” (They also want to engage in the salad-tossing act), read the caption which accompanied the videoclip.
For the uninitiated, yee sang is a Malaysian-originated dish containing raw fish, carrots, daikon, cucumber, pickled ginger, pomelo, peanuts, sesame seeds, pillow crackers, five spice powder, pepper, oil and plum sauce.
The dish is then assembled on a wide plate for the lou hei (prosperity toss) – an act which is uniquely Malaysian.
The vegetables are first beautifully laid on a plate, excluding the peanuts, sesame, crackers, powders, oils and sauces, following which auspicious sayings are uttered while the final ingredients are added. The ingredients will eventually be tossed into the air while guests make more auspicious wishes.
Genuinely halal as evident from the afore-mentioned ingredients, many Malay Muslim guests to Chinese New Year open house, particularly in urban settings, are already well-versed with the art of lou hei yee sang.
Even Perikatan Nasional (PN) leaders like its chairman and Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang had also engaged in lou hei yee sang when they attended the Gerakan open house during the recent lunar new year festivity.
Here comes the interesting part: although instinctively one would assume yee sang hails from China, believe it or not, it was actually birthed in Malaysia by Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook’s grandfather Loke Ching Fatt. — April 13, 2023
Main photo credit: Datuk Dominic Lau Hoe Chai’s Facebook
