KUCHING, Aug 20 — The action of the Sarawak DAP Socialist Youth (DAPSY) in pasting stickers in Chinese on several road signs around the city can be considered as insensitive to the sentiments of the plural society in the state.
Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department (Islamic Affairs and Kuching North City Hall [DBKU]), Datuk Abdul Rahman Junaidi said it also violated the Federal Constitution and the National Language Act 1963.
“The DAP should not drag the DBKU into (fulfilling the agenda requirements) of their politics. They should not have done this (disregarding the sensitivity among races like) in Peninsular Malaysia,” he said in a statement here today.
The statement was issued following the actions today of a group of Sarawak DAPSY members who pasted stickers in Chinese characters on several road signs in the city on the grounds that they needed to be translated for the needs of tourists from China.
The action, which was led by former Stampin Member of Parliament Julian Tan, was also viralled on social media and received various comments from netizens.
Abdul Rahman said he considered the act as vandalism and a violation of DBKU’s rules because prior permission was not obtained from city hall.
Meanwhile, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) Youth deputy chief Fazzrudin Abdul Rahman described Sarawak DAPSY’s action as deliberate to exploit language issues that could cause tensions between the races.
He said PBB Youth was confident that all the people in Sarawak from various racial and religious backgrounds loved their respective languages and cultures but, at the same time, needed to be realistic in maintaining the harmony between the races enjoyed so far.
“Such a negative political culture is not accepted in Sarawak, which greatly appreciates unity,” he said in a statement. — Bernama
