IPOH, Oct 4 — Perak folks who wish to put up signage in the state may have to mind their language in the near future, if the mentri besar has his way.
Ahmad Faizal Azumu said today he wants Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) to vet any signage that get erected in the state.
He suggested that this should include signboards, banners and private commercial signage in the state.
However, the Chenderiang assemblyman said he is unable to specify a timeline for the move as the state exco line-up needed to deliberate over the matter first.
“We found that signage in Perak does not need any approval from DBP. I didn’t expect this, as I thought [DBP’s approval] was already a stipulation,” he told reporters after closing the 8th National Institut Pendidikan Guru (IPG) forum competition at the Ipoh IPG campus.
“For example, ‘Kedai Jahit Wanita (Women’s Tailoring Shop). It sounds so wrong,” he joked.
“I think it is best to protect the prestige of the Malay language in the right way. Of course, when we use phrases like ‘Moh ke Perak’, we can use quotation marks. But when it comes to official language, the language must be appropriate.”
Ahmad Faizal stressed that this was not aimed at rejecting other languages or punishing any parties.
Instead, he said it would help to correct any problems by encouraging proper use of the Malay language.
“This isn’t about rejecting other languages. It is about using Malay in the right way. We don’t want to punish or fine people,” he added.
Ahmad Faizal also said that existing signage should ideally be rechecked by the authorities.
“Ideally, the local councils must find a way to work with DBP. They also need to work with businesses and other parties to fix the situation,” he elaborated.
