I want to send my heartiest good wishes to everyone celebrating Chinese New Year, as we usher in the Year of the Fire Monkey.

Chinese New Year is a special occasion and a perfect reminder of the many cultures and faith of a Malaysian Malaysia!

Echoing what US President Barack Obama said in his CNY message, we are a nation of immigrants. We are unique in a sense that we are united in our diversity. Our diversity is guaranteed by the Rukunegara and our constitution. Don’t let the opportunists and segregationists deceive us into thinking otherwise.

Just look around us. Just look at ordinary Malaysians and judge for yourselves whether we need to divided by the ploys of those who wants to remain in power. They use race and religion to divide us. Race and religion are the very things that unite us as a Malaysian Malaysia is built on unity in diversity.

That is what a Malaysian Malaysia should be about, as depicted by the blockbuster movie ‘Ola Bola’. Just like what Singapore’s PM Lee Hsien Loong said in his CNY message, “How we treat each other and what we are willing to do for one another defines who we are.” This country belongs to all of us, and is what we make of it.

Also Chinese New Year is a time to remind ourselves of the importance of family.How it is our tower of strength and support; how it encourages us when we are down and jubilates with us when we achieve success; how it is always there for us.

So as the lights go up, the parades begin, the music starts and families gather together, let’s celebrate everything we are achieving together-may we all do our part to carry forward the work of perfecting this country that we love.

If you are up to it then please do this when you see a Chinese Malaysian, make your right hand into a fist, put your left hand over the right fist and scream at the top of your lungs “Ong ah! Huat ah! Heng ah!”

If you are not up to it then just wish them the most blessed CNY ever.

NICOLE TAN LEE KOON is DAP Wanita national executive committee (NEC) member and Negri Sembilan DAP state committee member.