In Malaysia, most of them would normally travel back to their elders homes one or two days before Chinese New Year.
Most of the chinese are involve in small and medium sized trading and light industries with a sprinkling of big conglomerates in their midst. There are the 'third force' of the economic system and a potent force to drive the free enterprise system in their country of adoption. Most of them are without government largesses and operated with only a shoe-string budgets without any formal or written business missions and plans. The weak informal business management system can become opportunities in disguise for the ultra fast delivery of goods and services with long working hours for 6 working days a week. They thrive in the cut throat business competitions amongst themselves with very small profit margins by having volume sales of goods and services.
In the nutshell, because of the forced circumstances, they would take the journey home, one or two days before the lunar Chinese New Year because of the opportunities of brisk business during this festive year-end session or cheap sales.
The Chinese New Year family dinner usually commenced in the early evenings at their elders' homes or at numerous chinese restaurants. The family reunion dinner are usually boisterous and happy affairs with the chinese greetings of Gong Xi Fa Cai ( Kong Hei Fatt Choy in cantonese ) and the different varieties of traditional chinese menus of meat consisting of chicken, fishes and pork, and the many types of vegetables, chinese tea and alcoholic drinks. They usually started off with the tossing of 'Yu Sheng' ( 'Yu Sang' in cantonese ), to signifies prosperity and wealth for the coming new year. They would usually discuss about the welfare of the family members, the birth and death of family members, the business successes and failures of their family members and close relatives, their current and future business ventures and so on. In one way or the other, the Chinese New Year reunion dinner is something like the 'Annual General Meeting' in the westernised modern organization or corporation. There were a free flow of brain storming of ideas, questions and answers and everyone presence will have a say in everything under the sun with laughter and battering amongst themselves with occasional toasting of "Yam Seng" in between the dinner course. Normally, the elders of the family would keep a discreet silence and dignified presense amongst the family members and to keep the peace if necessary. He is accorded the respect for his position as the head of the family. The head of the family will normally settled the bill after the dinner and usually headed for the elder's home.
The family members would settled down and chit chat or played mahjong at their elders's home until the wee morning.
The elders would perform prayers by lighting joss sticks and hell monies and prayed for health and wealth to the dieties and to welcome the "God of Wealth" into their home so that bountiful blessings and prosperity will be bestowed to every family members for the coming year.
This informal chinese reunion dinner brought about the cohesiveness and unity of the family members and smoothens the process of the formation of small and medium sized businesses, business partnerships and business joint ventures with little frictions and minimun law suits in the operations of the businesses. Most chinese do not believe in long drawn business court battles in the civil courts. They knew that they could waste resources and time when the disputes are in the courts of law.They would rather settled outside the court presided by the trusted elders of the chinese community. The strategic business units are usually headed by one of the better educated family members and trusted and faithful relatives, neighbours and close friends. No outsiders could penetrate the inner circle of the family busineses. When the times are good, this inner cycle of family members, are greatly rewarded for the hard labour and long working hours. When the times were bad, such as recession, the family members were still be employed in the business, elbeit with low pays, and waiting for better times to come.
This informal chinese reunion dinner brought about the cohesiveness and unity of the family members and smoothens the process of the formation of small and medium sized businesses, business partnerships and business joint ventures with little frictions and minimun law suits in the operations of the businesses. Most chinese do not believe in long drawn business court battles in the civil courts. They knew that they could waste resources and time when the disputes are in the courts of law.They would rather settled outside the court presided by the trusted elders of the chinese community. The strategic business units are usually headed by one of the better educated family members and trusted and faithful relatives, neighbours and close friends. No outsiders could penetrate the inner circle of the family busineses. When the times are good, this inner cycle of family members, are greatly rewarded for the hard labour and long working hours. When the times were bad, such as recession, the family members were still be employed in the business, elbeit with low pays, and waiting for better times to come.
Recently, the small and medium sized business enterprises were managed and helmed by young educated chinese malaysians and a structured and formal form of business corporation were put in place with various strategic business units with few layers of management, normally headed by the head of the family.
They could survive due to frugal living, hard work and sacrifices, and take a long term plan in their business strategy, waiting for any opportunities that come on the way.
