KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Malaysians are like a dish of yee sang - a must-have food during the Chinese New Year, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.

"Yee sang is a good mixture of all sorts of food. There's some mee hoon in it and some fish too. Macam macam ada.

"If you take it piece by piece, it might not taste as good. But mix it all together - and with the right mixture and the right sauce - it becomes more delicious than before.

"And people, regardless of whether they are Chinese or not, always look forward to yee sang," he said at the national-level Chinese New Year open house in Jalan Bukit Bintang here last night

The open house was hosted by the Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry.

Abdullah said that in the 25 years that he has lived in Kuala Lumpur, the open house was the biggest gathering of people he had ever seen in Jalan Bukit Bintang.

"It is not just the Chinese who have come but also the Malays and Indians and others too, as well as tourists," he said.

He added that the massive crowd was a sign that the people of different races in the country could be together.

"We feel very safe to be in this crowd because Malaysians are very friendly and love each other. That is our advantage," he said, adding that Malaysia was number one in the world with regards to racial harmony.

Abdullah said he wanted this harmony among the races to go on forever.

"We want this to become a way of life among Malaysians where they respect and help each other. I want this to be a permanent situation so that we will forever be as peaceful."

"This will be a very valuable heritage for us," he added.

Abdullah also said that the Government had done a lot for the Chinese community in the country, as well as for the other races.

He said MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting has played a very important role in helping the Chinese and to make plans succeed.

He also said that MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu too had done much for the Indians.

"This is a new year. We must start every new year with a new resolve to improve and add value to ourselves. That must be the culture of the Malaysian people. That would make us become even stronger," he said.