A subdued Chinese New Year for Chinese community

GEORGE TOWN (Jan 14, 2014): Ushering in the Year of the Horse will be a low-key affair for the majority of the Chinese community due to belt tightening as a result of price hikes on essential goods.
Boutique shopkeeper Dave Ang said he plans to have the reunion dinner at home rather than at a restaurant this time around.
"I cannot afford to take my parents and siblings out now as it will at least cost me a few hundred ringgit," the 30-year-old told theSun.
IT supervisor SH Liang said he was going to greet the new year with normal casual wear to save money.
He said there was no point in buying a bunch of new clothes to keep up with the times as well as ruling out getting a new hair style.
"I am going to celebrate this new year in the simplest way possible," the 33-year-old said today.
A housewife, who only wanted to be known as Yen Yen, said she will be baking her own cookies as a saving measure instead of on buying the delicacies from shops.
She told theSun a container of love letters could cost up to RM30 but making her own was only a fraction of that.
Nonetheless, Foong Choong Sin, 45, said he will not cut back as the celebration comes but once a year.
He said there was no reason to cut costs as people could rebuild their savings after splurging to celebrate the new year.