JOHOR BARU: Thanks to advances in the field of medicine, people are living healthier and longer these days.
Still, whenever a person posts a century in terms of birthdays, arrival at that auspicious milestone never fails to make witnesses salute and celebrate the centenarian.
Pang You Moy, who lives in Jalan Yahya Aldatar, here, marked her centenary on Feb 2, the second day of the Lunar New Year. For her, it was a double celebration, individual honours blending nicely with the culturally festive occasion.
She cut a picture of contentment, surrounded by her seven children, 21 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren, who came from different parts of the state and country to hail the family matriarch on her big day.
Asked for the elixir of life, Pang simply exclaimed, "Love and be loved."
She meant the love of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren for which Pang was never short of, having brought up her family with husband Variyenghattil Govindan Nair.
Nair died in 2000 at the age of 90. They both met and married in 1943, during the height of the Japanese Occupation (1942-45).
Inter-racial marriages were a rare occurrence in those days, but according to Murugan, one of the Nair's sons, it was love at first sight for Pang.
Murugan, 69, said his mother came from Guangzhou, China, in 1934 and stayed in Malaysia.
He said his mother was adept at business. His parents ran a provision shop in Kulai in the early 1950s.
For 40 years Pang and Nair sold rations which brought a steady income to the family.
"Mum spent most of her time in the business helping dad but did not neglect the task of giving her seven children a proper education," he remarked.
In her lifetime, Murugan revealed that his mum went through the challenging period of World War II and the May 13 riots.
Murugan said his mother adheres to a simple daily routine, waking up at seven in the morning to a breakfast of oats, other organic cereals and milk powder.
She then takes a good rest and watches Chinese serials on the television. She likes to have friends come over to the house and chat with them.
She has her lunch at 1pm after which she takes a short rest. Later on she would take a bath and have some snacks with Milo.
"After that, she sits on her armchair and watches television until dinner time," he said.
He said his mother speaks the Chinese dialects - Hakka, Hokkien, Teochew, Hainanese – and a smattering of Mandarin.
Pang is fluent in Bahasa Malaysia and understands a little English.
Murugan said his mother has been to China twice to visit relatives and her parents. The latter has come to visit Pang in Malaysia.
For Pang whenever she meets anyone she always greets them with a full-blown smile which signifies happiness from the bottom of her heart.
Besides her flair for business, Pang is also a Jill of all trades.
"She can climb onto the roof and do repairs if there is any damage and is considered a good mason," said Murugan.
If there is carpentry to be done, Murugan said his mother would take on the task.
She even takes care of and nurses her own pets and refuses to allow them to be sent to the veterinarian if they fall sick.
When asked for additional clues to her longevity, Pang said in a gentle voice: "I live a happy-go-lucky life and not fret about anything."
"I love to cook and still do just to keep myself busy," she added while relaxing on a sofa in her living room.
She said she loves making porridge and enjoys the dish.
She said the best diet for a long and happy life is to "eat in moderation, with little sugar and even less salt."
She also emphasised being contented, positive and forgiving.
"The best vitamins are your children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren beside you at all times," she said.