PETALING JAYA, Jan 15 – Chinese New Year festivity came early this year to the Malay Mail office in Petaling Jaya with a visit by Astro Malaysia yesterday.

With the theme "Let’s welcome the New Year by saying cheese and may your luck be in your favour,” Astro Malaysia entertained the employees with an exciting lion dance performance, games and this year’s rat mascot called Hao Yun Shu.

The special visit was led by Astro Malaysia chief executive officer Henry Tan, communication director Tammy Toh and Chinese customer business vice-president Wong Siah Ping.

The television network also brought along their stars such as Rocketfuel singers Nicole Lai, Danny Koo and Jacqueline Tiang as well as top three Miss Astro Chinese International 2019 Jens Cheong, Rennie Lau and Chan Lee Xuan to spread festive cheers.

Lion dance performance courtesy of Astro Malaysia outside the Malay Mail office in Petaling Jaya. — Picture by Hari Anggara

Present to welcome Astro Malaysia’s management and staff were Ancom Berhad executive chairman and Malay Mail publisher Datuk Siew Ka Wei, Media Works chief executive officer and Malay Mail editor-in-chief Datuk Wong Sai Wan, Ancom Berhad management staff and Malay Mail employees.

The event also introduced the upcoming award-winning Malaysian film The Garden of Evening Mists that will be in cinemas starting tomorrow.

The film, which is based on Tan Twan Eng’s novel of the same name, received nine nominations at the prestigious Golden Horse Film Festival, and won the award for Best Makeup and Costume Design.

The two-hour romance, directed by Tom Lin, is backed by a stellar international cast and crew from around the world, including Hiroshi Abe from Japan, Malaysia’s Lee Sin-je and Serene Lim, Taiwanese star Sylvia Chang.