Maintaining a Tradition - CNY Eve Family Reunion Dinner

Last Chinese New Year in early 2025, our home was filled with the joyful noise of a big family reunion. All three of our children’s families came back from overseas. We had a memorable evening of laughter and togetherness. The function was also joined by families of my siblings (Read here).

After spending Christmas 2025 in Singapore with Sam’s and Paul’s families in late December last year, we decided to keep this year’s Chinese New Year quieter. Even so, we continued our tradition of a reunion dinner on New Year’s Eve.

We met at my youngest brother’s home, where our parents once lived. Being there again brought back many cherished memories. Though the gathering was smaller, it remained a meaningful three-generation celebration, enriched by the presence of Caleb’s two children - Asher and Hannah.

Moments like these remind us that family bonds, love and traditions are worth treasuring.

We were especially happy to have Lisa, my sister-in-law, join us for the reunion. This was her first Chinese New Year spent on her own, without the presence of her husband - my elder brother - who passed away last October. Her presence reminded us of the enduring bonds of family, even in times of loss, and we were thankful that she could share this meaningful occasion with us.

Distributing ang-pow is a cherished tradition that every Chinese family faithfully keeps. For our families, it usually takes place after the reunion dinner. More often than not, the role of giving falls to the mothers, wives, and the younger married women.

As in previous Chinese New Years, ang-pow were again entrusted to us for delivery to our grandchildren who are living overseas. In a way, we become the “middlemen of blessings,” carrying not just red packets, but also the affection and well-wishes of the elders across the seas.

And in return, we reciprocate by presenting ang-pow to the young children here on behalf of our own children who are abroad. Though oceans separate us, the tradition continues - binding generations together through this simple yet meaningful exchange of love and blessings.

Friends from Vancouver are Back Again

I was quite surprised to receive a WhatsApp message from Vun Kai in the afternoon of 11.02.2026, informing me that he and his wife had returned to KK. At first, I thought they had intentionally come back early to celebrate Chinese New Year, which was less than a week away on 17 February. However, I later learned that their main purpose this time was to attend the wedding banquet of his nephew in Sandakan - the son of his younger brother.

Time truly flies. The last time we met was nearly two years ago, on 29.04.2024 (Read here) . As is our usual practice when friends return from overseas, we spent a morning on 13.02.2026 at a local restaurant, enjoying the fresh seafood for which KK is well known. Interestingly, we chose the same place where we had breakfast last June with Daniel and his wife, Carol, who had returned from Vancouver for their holidays (Read here).

During our conversation, Vun Kai shared the challenges of travelling from Vancouver back to KK. With advancing age, being confined to a seat for such a long-haul journey has become increasingly exhausting. Crossing multiple time zones and enduring a flight from a place 16 hours behind our local time is no easy task. His reflections made me realize that future homecomings may become less frequent.

When we talked about how he spends his time in retirement, his wife was quick to share that Vun Kai has taken on the daily task of picking up their grandchildren from their daughters’ homes and sending them to school. After dropping them, he goes for an hour-long walk around a nearby park. In the afternoon, when school ends, he returns to pick up the grandchildren and send them home.

With a smile, Vun Kai added, “If I don’t do this, what do I do?” His simple remark reveals a meaningful routine - one that allows him to bond with his grandchildren while keeping himself active and healthy.

After the meal, I drove them to the old BCCM KK church premises at Signal Hill. This was a familiar place to them, where they had once spent a significant part of their youth as church members and choir singers in the 1960s and early 1970s, before the church relocated to its current site near the Dah Yeh Villa traffic junction.

One obvious change he immediately noticed was that the church entrance had been shifted from the east to the west.

We met again on Sunday morning, 15.02.2026, at church. After the church service and as we looked around for familiar faces he once knew, we noticed that they had become fewer with each passing year. With a gentle smile, he quipped, “Well, it’s not surprising - I’ve been away from Sabah for almost 34 years!”

It was hard to believe that so much time had passed since he left in 1992. This reality may also discourage him from returning more often, knowing that there are now fewer old friends to look forward to meeting.

Still, moments like these remind us of the enduring value of friendship, shared memories, and the preciousness of every reunion.

Company's Pre-CNY Annual Dinner 2026

Pre-Chinese New Year (CNY) annual dinners have been a long-standing tradition of the company, dating back to its inception in the late 1980s. As the company grew over the years and welcomed a diverse workforce drawn from Sabah’s multi-ethnic communities, this tradition naturally expanded. Annual lunch and dinner gatherings were subsequently introduced to also mark the Christmas season and Hari Raya, reflecting our inclusive culture and appreciation of cultural diversity.

The most recent pre-CNY annual dinner was held on 02.02.2026 at a local seafood restaurant. This year’s gathering saw a record attendance of thirty participants, comprising twenty-seven staff members - including the directors and the spouses of the directors. The strong turnout was a testament to a growing workforce and the close-knit spirit and sense of belonging within the company.

As is customary for a Chinese New Year reunion meal, the dinner began with lou sang, where participants gathered around the table to toss a colourful salad together, symbolising prosperity, good fortune, and abundance for the year ahead.

Group photo after the dinner.

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Group photo after the dinner on 21.01.2025.

Last year’s Pre-CNY Annual Dinner was held on 21.01.2025 at the Shangri-La Tanjong Aru Resort, attended by twenty-seven participants. It was an evening of warmth and fellowship, offering another moment to pause and appreciate the journey we have taken together. For more insights into the company’s annual CNY dinners and lunches during the earlier years, please (Read here).

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I joined the company in 1989, just one year after its establishment, and over the past decades I have witnessed its steady and resilient growth. The company has been fortunate to receive a continuous flow of work, allowing it to sustain operations and provide stable employment through both good times and challenging periods. Significantly, no staff members have ever been retrenched. Even during the trying years of the 1997 global financial crisis, the company chose compassion over expediency, implementing reduced working hours so that every employee could remain on the payroll.

As I reflected during the dinner, it was striking to realize that nearly thirty-eight years have passed since the company first commenced practice. Many among the present group had not yet been born when this journey began. Over the years, countless individuals have come and gone, each leaving their mark and contributing in their own way to the company’s story.

From its inception, the objective of the company has been clear: to contribute meaningfully to the infrastructural development of the State, thereby uplifting the well-being of the local community. At the same time, the company has sought to provide a platform for successive generations to apply their skills and knowledge, earn an honest living, support their families, and pursue their aspirations. This, I believe will continue to be the core value in guiding the company's practice.

Revisiting Taman Tun Fuad: A Long-Awaited Return

It has been more than three years since my last visit to Taman Tun Fuad, when I went trekking up the nearby hill with a group of friends on 18.11.2022 (Read here). That outing took place barely three weeks before the park was closed for a major RM20 million upgrading project.

Originally scheduled for completion within two years by 18.09.2024, the project unfortunately fell behind schedule. A revised reopening date of 14.07.2025 also came and went without success. Eventually, the park was partially reopened on 27.10.2025, although numerous finishing works and attractions remain incomplete.

To welcome the new year, I decided to take a walk in Taman Tun Fuad on the second day of 2026, hoping to see for myself what a RM20 million facelift has delivered.

The upgraded park is planned to feature an impressive range of themed gardens, including a botanical garden, herb garden, orchard garden, ginger garden and palm garden. Other highlights include a bamboo corner, Belian Walk, Flora Walk, boardwalk, Nostalgia Bridge, and several hiking tracks designed for nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts.

At present, however, only the 2.1 km jogging trail and a few hiking paths are open to the public. Many of the new attractions are still barricaded and remain off-limits, suggesting that the long-awaited transformation of Taman Tun Fuad is still very much a work in progress.

With its expanded attractions and upgraded facilities, Taman Tun Fuad promises to be a much-improved green space, offering KK residents and visitors an enjoyable spot for a relaxing morning or afternoon.

Conservatory Centre.

Bamboo Corner.

Public Toilets.

Lighting for Night Walkers.

Typical workout station along the track.

Plenty of signboards to guide the public.

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While walking on the upgraded boardwalk, I remember that I once took my grandchildren, Nathan and Gracie to walk on the old boardwalk more than eight years ago during Christmas in 2017 (Read here).

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Areas and attractions which are still off-limits.

Hardly any workers noticed on site at the off-limits area!

A newly added track just above
the lake's waterline.