Centenarian cherishes meaningful CNY gathering with kin

MACHANG: Celebrating the Chinese New Year with all his children and grandchildren is meaningful for centenarian Tan Ban Sing.

The 101-year-old usually welcomed the Lunar New Year with his wife and some of his five children and grandchildren, but yesterday, he ushered in the Year of the Snake surrounded by nearly 30 of them, except his wife.

Tan's wife, Kua Yok Ting, died after a fall in 2023 at the age of 96.

Tan said he was overjoyed to see all his children and grandchildren, including those who lived outside Kelantan, returning home for the celebration.

"I cannot describe my happiness as all of them have come back for Chinese New Year this year.

"I can now spend time with my children and grandchildren. This is the moment that I have been waiting for," said a smiling Tan at his home in Kampung Mata Ayer here.

The former farmer said the presence of his children and grandchildren this year would be a sweet memory for him.

"I am 101 years old and do not know when I will leave this world. So, I cherish these precious memories and moments."

Despite having hearing and vision problems, Tan said he still walked around the house to exercise.

"Before this, my late wife would accompany me when I exercised or wherever I went.

"But now that she is gone, I walk alone. I miss the moments when she held my arms and we would walk together around the house," he reminisced while being fed mandarin oranges by his son.

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