TOURISM Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing recently criticised DBKL for enforcing actions against Chinese-language signboards, warning it damages Malaysia’s multicultural image and deters international tourists.
“Such extreme actions not only lead tourists to question Malaysia’s openness and inclusivity but have also prompted several international visitors to ask me directly, ‘Is Malaysia a racist or religiously extreme country?’
“This doubt directly affects tourists’ decisions to visit Malaysia, thereby undermining the country’s competitiveness on the global stage,” Tiong said in a statement.
He highlighted concerns about the country’s inclusivity, raised by tourists questioning if Malaysia is racist or religiously extreme.
Tiong urged DBKL to focus on community-benefiting initiatives like infrastructure and tourism development instead of divisive actions.
He emphasised multiculturalism as a strength, especially with Malaysia set to chair ASEAN in 2025, and called for unity and progress over racial or religious controversies to enhance the nation’s global appeal.
In October 2024, DBKL fined five businesses in Bukit Bintang for having signboards that only featured other languages, and not enough prominence to Bahasa Malaysia:
DBKL issued a 14-day notice to the businesses to take down their signboards.
The businesses were given this notice after a viral video on social media showed that they were in violation of the Small Signboards (FT) 1982 Bylaws.
The Advertisements (Federal Territories) By-Laws 1982 require that all advertisements be in the national language, with Bahasa Malaysia being more prominent and larger than any other language.
DBKL said that the enforcement was not selective, and that they would take action against any signboard that doesn’t comply with the requirements.
However, some netizens questioned the timing of the action, and whether similar action would be taken against larger businesses. —Nov 24, 2024
Main image: Malaysiakini
