KUCHING, Aug 24 — Kuching DAP Socialist Youth (Dapsy) chief Ting Ying Ying today formally submitted a request to Kuching City North Commission (DBKU) to “restore” Chinese characters onto the three road signs here.
The request comes four days after its members sprayed Chinese characters on the road signs for Jalan Main Bazaar, Lebuh Wayang and Jalan Green Hill, which drew criticism from an assistant minister, PBB Youth, SUPP Women and Bintulu Member of Datuk Sri Tiong King Sing.
“As a kind gesture, we also enclosed the printout of the Chinese characters ready to be affixed on the road signs of Jalan Main Bazaar, Lebuh Wayang and Jalan Green Hill,” former Stampin MP Julian Tan said.
The group had taken matters into its own hands to include the Chinese characters on the road signs last week, and even posted it on Facebook, claiming it was to correct an omission by the DBKU previously.
Dapsy later removed the Chinese characters following an order issued by DBKU.
Today, Tan explained Dapsy’s initiative to add the Chinese characters to the road signs was an act of good intent, aimed to restore and preserve Sarawak’s multiculturalism.
He said Sarawak has been putting multilingual road signs even before the formation of Malaysia.
“We also come across this directive by a former chief minister the late Pehin Sri Adenan Satem in 2015 for the reinstatement of these Chinese characters to the road signs with reasons to promote, maintain and enhance the multiracial and cultural values in Sarawak, particularly in town areas,” Tan said.
He said Dapsy is looking forward to DBKU’s decision on restoring the Chinese characters to the road signs.
Dapsy came under fire from Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Office (in charge of Islamic Affairs and DBKU) Datuk Abdul Rahman Junaidi when it first initiated painting the road signs with Chinese characters
Abdul Rahman said it was DBKU’s policy to only use Bahasa Malaysia on road signs in areas under its jurisdiction and demanded Dapsy apologise publicly for the act he described as seditious and provoking racial tension.
PBB Youth deputy head Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman also criticised the earlier act as vandalism while SUPP women’s head Kho Teck Wan described Dapsy’s act as improper.
