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GEORGE TOWN: A group of two Malaysian rights activists defaced some street signs in the city here last night as the signs had Chinese translations.
Activists Mohd Firdaus Mohd Adnan, better known as “Tok Singa”, and Azmi Jaafar were seen in a live video broadcast on Facebook blacking out the Chinese translations of street names.
Tok Singa reminded the local authorities that Malay, as an official language as established in the Federal Constitution, must be kept as the main language for all signs.
“This is not China… this is Tanah Melayu. Wear Malay, have some respect, ”he said as he spray-painted Gat Lebuh’s Chinese translation into Armenian in the heritage quarter.
The couple is shown in the video looking for more signs with translations.
The video has since been set for limited views on Facebook, but was uploaded to YouTube by Tok Singa.
Azmi, who is the leader of PAS Jalan Mengkuang branch, said that while not all street signs have been translated, the Penang government appeared to be “testing the market” by slowly translating more street names into Chinese.
He said the “test” seemed to be working as more posters are being translated into Chinese.
He said this was too much, as there were other transgressions when the Penang government allowed crosses in buildings and dogs in parks, which “further enraged Muslims.”
“When people scold people who walk their dogs in public parks, they say there are no signs prohibiting them. What kind of town hall is this?
“This is clearly a council that does not address the interests and sensibilities of Malays and Muslims,” he said.
He hoped that the blacking out of the Chinese translations would be a lesson to the state government, accusing it of being “interested in promoting discord.”
He said: “We should prioritize the use of the Malay language first and foremost.”
The Penang Island City Council said it was regrettable that street signs had been defaced. A police report has been filed.
Northeast District Police Chief Soffian Santong said two police reports were received and the case would be investigated for mischief, making statements that lead to public mischief and sharing offensive content online.
Tok Singa told FMT that he and Azmi had been summoned to the Patani Road Police Station for questioning at 9 pm. They told him they would arrest him.
He defended his actions, adding that authorities must be fair in translating street signs into Chinese and Tamil, or simply leaving them in Malay.
Tok Singa had previously generated controversy when he hunted for foreigners doing business in Penang in late June, when discontent among foreign workers was mounting.
It was reported that he had threatened to “rob” all the stores run by foreigners.
