KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his wife Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail are expected to attend MCA's Chinese New Year open house here on Feb 17.
The event will be held on the first day of the Lunar New Year and is open to the public.
"As always, MCA's doors will be open. Besides the Prime Minister and his wife, several political and business leaders have also been invited and are expected to attend," said MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong during the party's Chinese New Year luncheon with party veterans and leaders of Chinese guilds and associations on Saturday (Feb 7).
In keeping with tradition, this year's open house at Dewan San Choon, Wisma MCA is also expected to see the presence of government leaders, Barisan Nasional component party leaders, MCA veterans, business figures, Chinese community leaders and foreign diplomats, alongside Malaysians of all races as well as tourists.
Dr Wee said such festive gatherings are an important platform to strengthen ties.
He said MCA, founded on Feb 27, 1949, carries the aspirations of Chinese pioneers who wanted to contribute to both the community and the nation.
"When problems arise, we choose to face them together. Managing a diverse society is never easy but we want to see this country continue to prosper," he said.
Looking ahead to the Lunar New Year, Dr Wee expressed hope for a stronger economy.
"In this Year of the Horse, we hope the ringgit will remain strong, the economy improves further and all sectors grow. For the rakyat, political stability and economic development are the two key concerns," he said.
The MCA Chinese New Year open house is one of the mainstays on the festive calendar and draws multi-racial crowds and overseas visitors who come to soak in the atmosphere and join in the celebrations.
