Chinese New Year just wouldn’t be the same without the vibrant, chaotic, and utterly joyous act of tossing Yee Sang. It’s the one time of the year where playing with your food is not just encouraged, it’s rather expected! But have you ever wondered how this beloved tradition came to be? Buckle up, because we’re diving into a flavorful history that starts right here in Malaysia, with one man’s genius twist on an ancient dish.
A Toss Towards Tradition

Let’s set the record straight, while the idea of raw fish dishes isn’t new, the festive Yee Sang as we know it today is a uniquely Malaysian creation. If you head to China and ask about tossing Yee Sang for luck, you might get puzzled looks. It’s simply not a thing there.
So, how did this colorful, saucy dish become a must-have for Chinese New Year in Malaysia? Enter Loke Ching Fatt, a savvy restaurateur from Seremban in the 1940s, who turned an obscure raw fish salad into the party dish we now gleefully fling into the air.
The Man Behind the Meal

Loke Ching Fatt moved to Malaya in the 1920s and settled in Seremban, where he started a catering business called Loke Ching Kee. He became well-known for preparing Chinese banquets for weddings and special events, often traveling to smaller towns across Negeri Sembilan. However, his business took a severe hit during the Japanese Occupation, as few could afford celebrations. With six young children to support, Loke and his family struggled but managed to survive those difficult years.
After the war, business was slow to recover, and he needed a new way to attract customers. Remembering the Cantonese tradition of eating Yusheng on Renri, the seventh day of Chinese New Year, he decided to revive it—but with an exciting twist. Instead of the simple traditional version, Loke created a more colorful and elaborate recipe, laying the foundation for the modern Yee Sang we enjoy today.
He called it Sup Kum Yee Sang (Ten Senses Yee Sang), a name that captured the multi-sensory delight of the dish. But it wasn’t just about taste, he also introduced the idea of tossing the ingredients together, a move that symbolized prosperity, abundance, and togetherness. The concept caught on, and before long, families and restaurants everywhere were joyfully tossing their way into the new year.
From Family Recipe to Cultural Phenomenon
By the 1960s, Yee Sang had spread across Malaysia and into Singapore, with restaurants adding their own twists to the dish. Despite the variations, the heart of Yee Sang remained the same: a shared experience of optimism, wishes for prosperity, and a little bit of good-natured messiness at the dining table.

The Loke family continued their culinary legacy, with Anthony Loke, the current Malaysian Transport Minister growing up in the very restaurant where his grandfather’s invention flourished. When he was 10, former Malaysian transport minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook worked at his father’s Chinese restaurant, Hong Seng. Loke recalls his childhood vividly, “I served food to the customers, took orders, and washed dishes after school hours and during weekends,”
“Serving customers trained me to talk to strangers with ease,” he said, a skill that would later serve him well in politics. Who knew politics and prosperity-tossing could have such a deep-rooted connection?
A Uniquely Malaysian Celebration

While many assume Yee Sang is a centuries-old tradition straight from China, the reality is that it’s a homegrown marvel, deeply intertwined with Malaysia’s cultural identity. Unlike its simpler Chinese ancestor, the Malaysian version has evolved into a festive centerpiece, symbolizing prosperity, unity, and hope for the new year. The way Malaysians have embraced it, regardless of race or background, shows how food can bring people together in the most delightful ways.
So the next time you’re about to dig into a plate of Yee Sang, take a moment to appreciate the journey of this dish, from a humble Seremban eatery to an indispensable part of our Chinese New Year traditions. And as you lift your chopsticks high, remember: the higher you toss, the better your luck, and yes, the bigger the mess!
Happy tossing, and Gong Xi Fa Cai!
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