EDITORIAL: KEONG HEE HUAT CHAI SUBANG JAYA!

We have made a point to expedite our February edition of SJEcho to get to our readers before the Chinese New Year exodus at the end of this month. Yes! We went all out and burnt a few midnight oils over the last few weeks to fill up our pages with lots of colourful stories and important news updates for you, our faithful readers.

Our readers are our most important assets. Without you, there will not be a publication. SJEcho marks its 18^th year in circulation in 2025. It felt like just yesterday that we published our 1^st copy but this February 2025, we are at our 211^th edition.

The beginning of 2025 has also been a significant milestone for SJEcho, having achieved 58,000 followers on our Facebook – SJEcho just a few days ago. Our online readers, according to our analytics range from 25-64 years old; and men make up the higher percentage of readers. We wonder why? Perhaps the women will narrow the percentage this year?

Achieving the 58,000 is not just an achievement for us, but a challenge. While we are happy with the increasing number of followers, we realise that challenges and opportunities are also right in front of us; to do better and to bring to you more interesting and quality news and updates. Late last year, we made some significant adjustments to our focus for this year and you will probably notice it as we swing towards newer and fresher perspectives.

When we started SJEcho, we never wanted it to just be a reporting platform. We set out from Day One to be a community driver; contributing our time and effort to building the community of Subang Jaya. Building a community cannot be achieved alone. That we know for sure. We teamed up with like-minded individuals and groups to build the community we have today. People come; people go. And this contributes to the regular fresh breath of air we need to continue growing this little “kampung” of ours.

Chinese New Year is just 8 days away as I pen this editorial. Things are slowly but surely building up to the celebrations. Many of us will be packing up and making travel arrangements to “balik kampung” for the Lunar New Year to be with family and friends back in our hometown. Many others have made plans to travel overseas for the holidays to celebrate in a foreign land. Some of us will stay put and greet the New Year here in Subang Jaya.

Wet markets and grocery stores are now decked with Chinese New Year goodies as shoppers make a beeline to purchase their stuff to cook up a feast on the eve of the New Year. Family and friends have started exchanging CNY goodies with some Mandarin oranges tucked in for good luck.

We have also been making our way to different markets to buy up what we need for a simple but enjoyable New Year’s Eve dinner. Everything looks so nice – the poultry looks extra large and juicy; the fruits and vegetables look so fresh and the must-have Thee Koay (Nian Gao) look so irresistible.

We have also been booked for many Chinese New Year celebrations at the malls and also temples for the symbolic lou sang. It looks like any efforts to diet during a festive season will be futile. Ahhh…maybe after that we will go dieting (wishful thinking).

If you are one of those who will “balik kampung”, go “Cuti-Cuti Malaysia” or travel overseas, don’t forget to register your absence with the police. During this festive season, the police are encouraging house owners to register through the Police Volunteer Smartphone Patrol (VSP) system to have uniformed policemen keep an eye on your home while you are away. You can download the App on your smartphone and register.

Here’s wishing everyone a HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR and Happy Holidays.

If you are driving, make sure you have checked your vehicle; gotten enough rest before your journey and most importantly drive safe.

See you when we see you back here after the holidays.

Join SJEcho’s Telegram group to stay updated with happenings in Subang Jaya. Click here https://t.me/+VG1OowHHnBy5Anfk