Ismail said local authorities across Malaysia should follow DBKL’s lead in upholding the national language.
“It aligns with Article 152 of the Federal Constitution, which provides for the Malay language as the national language,” he said in a statement.
“The National Language Act reinforces this, so there is no excuse not to use the national language on signboards and in official dealings in the country.”
DBKL yesterday clarified that its recent enforcement of signboard regulations aims to ensure business premises comply with by-laws.
These regulations include the Advertisement (Federal Territories) By-Laws 1982 and the Local Government Act 1976, which require all business signboards and advertisements to be in the national language, though they may also include other languages.
This year, DBKL, in collaboration with Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, conducted operations at six shopping malls and issued 31 violation notices to premises failing to comply with the regulations.
Media reports had earlier quoted the Malaysian Chinese Restaurant Owners Association as saying that the stricter enforcement had increased operational costs for their businesses.
Commenting further, Ismail proposed stricter penalties for those who refuse to use the Malay language on signboards or who trivialise the importance of the national language.
“We have been an independent country for more than half a century. It’s unacceptable that we are still caught up in debates over language when Malay is clearly our national language,” he said.
Ismail also dismissed concerns that using Malay on signboards would deter tourists from visiting Malaysia.
“For example, Thailand uses Thai on all its signages, yet it continues to attract a large number of tourists,” he said.
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