5 Ways M’sians Can Make Their 2021 CNY Celebrations Just As Festive As The Years Before

The Chinese New Year festivities are just around the corner and usually, it’s an exciting time of year where Malaysians would flock back to their hometowns and have an amazing family feast along with other activities.

This year will be a little different as we can’t move as freely as we used to but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate like we usually do! Here are some ways we can make our Chinese New Year celebrations as festive as before:

 

1. Celebrate with family members who live with you

Although you can’t visit the extended family during the Movement Control Order, you can still have a small family gathering at home with family members who live with you. This way, you’ll still be able to celebrate with company and not miss out on all the festive experiences such as decorating the house and cooking a family feast together!

 

2. Keep the ang pao traditions going

Because what’s Chinese New Year without red packets, right? And just because we can’t visit relatives who live far away doesn’t mean we can’t get ang paos.

With technology these days, it’s so much easier to send and receive ang paos no matter where you are. With the all-new app, MAE by Maybank2u, which offers a convenient way to send (and receive) e-Angpao, you can tell your distant young niece or nephew (and yourself) not to worry, you’ll still get ang paos this year.

 

3. Go out & dapau or order your favourite CNY food online and use cashless payment methods to avoid physical contact!

If you can’t enjoy traditional home-cooked CNY dishes this year, you can always go out and dapau whatever your heart desires! Just make sure to use apps like the MAE app and their Scan & Pay feature to make cashless payments and avoid physical contact! #Staysafe

Don’t wanna head out? You can also order great CNY food online and have it delivered straight to your doorstep! Platforms like Sama-Sama Lokal provide a way for you to order from locally-owned restaurants, home-based sellers and food stalls so you don’t miss out on authentic must-have CNY foods such as:

• Steamboat from Ant Hotpot
• Fresh seafood from Xiao Long Xing Jiang Hu
• Hakka Dishes from Sour N Spicy Hometaste
• Yee Sang & Bakkwa from PichaEats or Master Yong Siew Mai
• Assorted CNY cookies from Milky Way Food industries, and more!

Just spend a minimum of RM30 on this platform and you’ll get to enjoy RM10 OFF your orders AND RM10 OFF delivery charges. Here’s how you can enjoy this promo:

1. Just use the promo code ‘STAYHOME‘ if you live in these areas:
   • Kuala Lumpur
   • Selangor
   • Putrajaya
   • Melaka
   • Pulau Pinang
   • Johor
   • Sabah (merchant delivery or pickup only)
   • Labuan (merchant delivery or pickup only)
2. Or use this promo code ‘STAYHOME2‘ if you live in these areas:
   • Perak
   • Perlis
   • Kedah
   • Terengganu
   • Pahang
   • Negeri Sembilan
   • Kelantan
   • Sarawak (merchant delivery or pickup only)

This promo will be running from now until 28th February so get started on your orders and don’t miss out!

Platforms like Sama-Sama Lokal are also great because they charge merchants zero platform fees and 100% of revenue go directly to the merchants! So make sure you #sapotlokal okay?

 

4. Dress up for CNY because you can!

Here’s an idea: Don your best cheongsam or samfu and get on a Zoom call with distant family members and try experimenting with different Zoom backgrounds to give the video conversation some CNY vibes! This is also an opportunity to take photos so you can one day look back and think “wow, this was the time we celebrated Chinese New Year so differently!”

 

5. Shop for CNY goodies as usual but follow SOPs or do it online

Shopping has always been a part of the CNY festivities, whether it’s for home decorations, clothing, food or gifts. You can still do so and keep your festive spirit up as long as you follow SOPs while you’re out.

To make things easier, you can do your CNY shopping safely and minimise physical contact by using apps like the MAE app where you can also win up to RM88 cashback when you use the Scan & Pay feature! This includes your favourite merchants like:

• Pizza Hut
• KyoChon
• AEON
• KK Mart
• Guardian
• Caring Pharmacy, and more!

Just spend a minimum of RM10 at any of the 250,000 participating stores nationwide up until 7th March and you’ll be in the running to win!

Each Scan & Pay transaction also gives MAE app users a chance to play All Sorts Of ONG, a contest where you can win a share of up to RM7 million worth of cash rewards and prizes from Dyson, Hermo, JD Sports, Shopee, ZALORA and more!

Here are some of the ways you can earn a chance to play All Sorts Of ONG:

• Pay bills or reload prepaid credit (min RM30)
• Scan & Pay at any participating merchant (min RM30)
• Send e-Angpao to friends (min RM5)
• Request money from friends (min RM5)
• Order online from Sama-Sama Lokal merchants (min RM30)

What’s also great about the MAE app is how convenient it is. Even non-Maybank customers can easily register for a MAE wallet account from the MAE app and enjoy all the promotions offered by Maybank!

Needless to say, the all-new MAE by Maybank2U app is definitely more than just your regular banking app. In fact, it has all the key M2U banking features and more, such as:

• Expenses feature: The app automatically consolidates and categorises all your spending activity in a holistic view so you can better manage your finances.
• Tabung feature: A quick and easy feature to put money aside to help you achieve the goals you want. You can even create individual Tabungs or group Tabungs (adding up to four friends!)
• MAE Card: Lets you enjoy better exchange rates – online or in-store!
• Scan & Pay feature: Users can pay at over 450,000 Maybank merchants with ease and also enjoy the many deals by Maybank when you use it! You also won’t need to top-up your account to make cashless transactions.

So if you’re not a MAE app user yet, download the app now from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store and sign up to enjoy all the CNY deals mentioned above up until 7th March along with other future promotions!

Don’t miss this chance to get maximum HUAT this Chinese New Year!