Foreigners ring in 2025 with M’sian hospitality
JOHOR BARU: The allure of Malaysian food and meeting friends has prompted a Brazilian couple to bring their young son and daughter on a two-hour long ferry ride from Batam just to attend a New Year celebration here.
Despite the long trip, Santiago Silva, 40, his wife Katia Silva, 38, daughter Ohana Silva, seven, and son Kaleo Silva, three, were thrilled to be part of the six-hour gathering.
“We had been here before Christmas and we enjoyed our time in Johor Baru.
“The people are friendly, and we also like the food, especially nasi lemak and mee goreng,” said Santiago, who hails from Rio de Janeiro.
“This is our first time being away for Christmas and New Year since I took up a job as a soccer coach in Batam about 10 months ago.”
Spectacular show: Large fireworks going off at the stroke of midnight during the New Year 2025 Countdown celebration at Dataran Putrajaya. — SHAARI CHEMAT/The Star
Despite missing their loved ones back home, he said they were glad they had made many new “families and friends” in Malaysia.
Asked about the difference in Christmas and New Year celebrations back home, Santiago said celebrations in Brazil are done on a much bigger scale, with a carnival-like atmosphere.
Santiago and his family were among the estimated 2,000-odd people who attended the special New Year event organised by the Calvary Community Church (CCC) at the EduCity Indoor stadium in Iskandar Puteri last week.
Besides performances that included a cultural show from various tribes from Sabah and Sarawak, there were also games and prayers at the gathering.
Joyous start: The Silva family attending a year-end celebration service at EdiCity Indoor Stadium in Iskandar Puteri, Johor Baru. (Left) Fireworks filling the sky above Bandar Sunway. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
Food trucks were available to cater to the huge crowd of Malaysians and foreign visitors.
All attendees were also given packed food for dinner.
For Nepali Giata Sunuwar, 24, and her friend Abraham Soren, 28, it was a good time to catch up with their friends.
Most of them, she said, had been working hard as factory employees.
“At least 24 of us attended the celebration. We had a lot of fun singing and worshipping.”
Giata said many of them have been here in Malaysia for some time and are missing their families back home.
“These gatherings give us a chance to gather and spend time together,” she said.
Myanmar national Saw Tha Ku, 43, said he was happy to catch up with his friends at the event.
Dynamic rhythm: Dancers delivering an Orang Asli pensol musical performance at the New Year’s Eve celebration and the Visit Perak 2024 closing at Bulatan Sultan Azlan Shah in Meru, Ipoh, Perak. (Below) Dancers performing the Trila Lila dance, a mainstay of Baba-Nyonya culture, at the New Year’s Eve celebration and World Tourism Day 2025 launch at Persiaran Jalan Merdeka, Banda Hilir, Melaka. — Bernama
On a more sombre note, he hoped that 2025 would bring peace to his country.
“Since young, all I have known is suffering and hardship.
“Now that Malaysia is the Asean chair, I hope something can be done to bring peace in Myanmar,” he said.
CCC senior overseer Rev Benedict Rajan said the annual event was attended by worshippers from about 60 CCC churches statewide.
“We also prayed for our country’s stability, our leaders and the economy,” he said.
This year, he said they would continue to help the public, especially those in need and the homeless.
Calvary Community Church senior overseer Rev Benedict Rajan leading the new year countdown at Educity Indoor stadium in Iskandar Puteri in Johor.
Their social arm, Pusat Kebajikan Kalvari, is now helping more than 400 people in need, including drug addicts, the elderly and the disabled.
