KUALA LUMPUR: There should not be double standard in the use of multilingual road signs, said Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
Lim, who visited Ain Arabia here, an area designated by the Federal Government for Middle Eastern tourists, asked why they were no protests when Kuala Lumpur City Hall put up road signs in Bahasa Malaysia and Arabic.
In contrast, he said that Umno and Utusan Malaysia had protested when the Penang Government tried to put up multilingual road signs at tourist attractions and heritage areas.
“We are not removing the signs in Bahasa Malaysia but simply adding other languages to what is available right now.
“Why is it allowed in Kuala Lumpur and not Penang? They just want to pit the Malays against the non-Malays.
“If they are protecting the national language, they should be protesting when the teaching of Mathematics and Science in English was implemented,” he said.
Lim has been criticised for approving multilingual road signs in Penang’s heritage enclave in various parts of George Town.
The Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Ministry also protested, saying that multi-language road signs had no benefit and would disunite the people.
Bukit Bintang MP Fong Kui Lun said that having road signs in many languages in Penang was for the convenience of foreign tourists, including those from Japan, South Korea and Japan.
“I do not understand why Penang is not allowed to do so at tourist destinations when road signs in Bahasa Malaysia and Arabic are available in Kuala Lumpur,” he said.
Bandar Kuching MP Chong Chien Jen said there was nothing wrong in having road signs in Bahasa Malaysia and other languages.
“Sarawak has had road signs in Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese and they have not affected racial harmony in Sarawak.
“The protest in Penang is just Umno playing race politics,” he said.
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