Ringing in CNY with Uncle Mike and his boys

Free Malaysia Today

For Michael Tong and the three orphaned Malay siblings he raised, festive seasons, whether Chinese New Year or Hari Raya, are a special time.   Story by: Sheela Vijayan  Shot by: Bani Jamian  Presented by: Theevya Ragu  Edited by: Dinesh Pushparani   Read More: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2025/01/29/uncle-mike-and-his-boys-ring-in-the-tung-tung-chiang/   Laporan Lanjut: https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/bahasa/tempatan/2025/01/29/meriahnya-uncle-mike-3-anak-sambut-tahun-baharu-cina/   Free Malaysia Today is an independent, bi-lingual news portal with a focus on Malaysian current affairs.    Subscribe to our channel - http://bit.ly/2Qo08ry   ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Check us out at https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com  Follow FMT on Facebook: https://bit.ly/49JJoo5  Follow FMT on Dailymotion: https://bit.ly/2WGITHM  Follow FMT on X: https://bit.ly/48zARSW  Follow FMT on Instagram: https://bit.ly/48Cq76h  Follow FMT on TikTok : https://bit.ly/3uKuQFp  Follow FMT Berita on TikTok: https://bit.ly/48vpnQG  Follow FMT Telegram - https://bit.ly/42VyzMX  Follow FMT LinkedIn - https://bit.ly/42YytEb  Follow FMT Lifestyle on Instagram: https://bit.ly/42WrsUj  Follow FMT on WhatsApp: https://bit.ly/49GMbxW  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Download FMT News App:  Google Play – http://bit.ly/2YSuV46  App Store – https://apple.co/2HNH7gZ  Huawei AppGallery - https://bit.ly/2D2OpNP   #FMTLifestyle #CNY2025 #MichaelTong #UncleMike #YearOfTheSnake

Transcript

00:00So, from Ujang, I suddenly became a father, right?

00:05And then, it's not just becoming a father, I have to become a mother, right?

00:08I have to start nagging, I have to start nagging.

00:11Boys always be boys.

00:13Then, rest.

00:18Chinese New Year is a meaningful time for families.

00:21This is no different for Michael Tong

00:24and the three orphaned Malay siblings he raised as his own.

00:30On the first day of Chinese New Year, we went back to my grandmother's house.

00:34So, we stayed there for one day.

00:36If a friend came to my house, it was at my mother's house.

00:41Then, again, we went to our relatives' house.

00:53Reunion dinners on the eve of the New Year

00:55are held at restaurants that serve halal food.

00:59Now, I like it because all the family members can meet at the New Year's Eve

01:06just like other families.

01:07So, I can feel the New Year's Eve like other people do.

01:14The best is Ang Pao, I'm not going to lie.

01:17It's great.

01:18Even though I'm married, I still give Ang Pao.

01:22Even Tong, who is affectionately known to the siblings as Uncle Mike,

01:26still hands out Ang Pao and duit raya.

01:29Tong shares that he first met Rafi'i, who was the eldest, over 16 years ago

01:34when he visited the Gombak orphanage the boy was staying in.

01:38He formed a close bond with Rafi'i and learned that his two younger siblings

01:43lived in another orphanage in Klang.

01:45Tong eventually welcomed all three of them into his home.

01:50So, from Ujang, I became a father.

01:56And then, I didn't just become a father, I had to become a mother.

01:59I had to start nagging, I had to start nagging.

02:02Boys always be boys.

02:03Wanting them to be strongly grounded in the Muslim faith,

02:07he consistently reminded them to pray.

02:10He learned to cook halal food,

02:12woke up early during Ramadan to prepare sahur meals,

02:15and fasted with them to set an example.

02:19During Hari Raya, he would go to great lengths to make celebrations memorable,

02:24and even learned to make rendang and ketupat.

02:27So, why did he open his home and heart to the boys?

02:31I am from a very, very poor family.

02:34If we're talking about food,

02:39even if we want to eat chicken, it's not like today, right?

02:42Back then, we didn't have this type of food at home.

02:51So, if we could eat fish, we would share it with our siblings.

02:59Then, we would watch TV at other people's homes,

03:02but we didn't have a TV at our home.

03:04That's why we want to move ourselves towards higher things

03:14without forgetting that we need help from the poor as well.

03:25I am very grateful.

03:27May Allah send us a good and loving God.

03:29I am very grateful that He took us in.

03:33We didn't have a home,

03:37but He came to us like a hero.

03:40He came to save us, to take care of us.

03:45Alhamdulillah.

03:46The message that I learned from my family is that

03:49even though we are from different families,

03:51love does not know the colour of the skin.

03:56Happy Chinese New Year!

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