I have been observing that in recent months there were more and more reports on criticism and comments being made repeatedly by Kedah BN component parties agaist Kedah PR Governtment on the use of jawi script on business advertisement and billboards in Kedah. A few Kedah MCA leaders have repeatedly critising the State PR government and me for not doing something to stop the Pas leadership. Their comments implied that the state government is moving towards Islamic state policy.
Of course, in recent times we have been observing that in Kedah, the number of large advertisement billboards have been increasingly displayed by big companies to promote their products and services. We cannot deny that. But out of 10, maybe 1 or 2 of these billboards are either partially or fully having jawi script.
Touching a bit on the origin of jawi script writing, we must understand that jawi script have been used commonly a few hundred years as early as the Malacca Sultanate, and has since been the official administrative and royal language use since. Jawi sript originate from early arrival of Arabs/muslim traders to the Malay Achipelago. Even during the early British Malaya, jawi have been use side by side with romanised Malay writing. In fact jawi is an early Malay scriptwritng with sound and pronunciation similar to Bahasa Melayu. That is why we see early 1900 and even earlier period in the Unfederated Malay State in early Malaya, jawi is commonly used. Documents like birth certificates, land ownership certificate, agreements and even today we see some Malay language news media with jawi script still being used. Even Malaysian legal tender notes have jawi script on it. Do all non Malays ever realized it ?
All commercial billboard languages displayed have to go through our country’s language approval department. Because jawi script writing is an early bahasa Melayu and modern Bahasa Melayu had been romanised [ Bahasa Melayu rumi] had become Bahasa Malysia now.
The national and state authority do not reject or promote the use of jawi script on commercial billboard display. Big company may prefer to use jawi script on them if they so desire in addition to Bahasa Melayu rumi (Bahasa Malaysia)
On MCA Kedah leaders saying that I am protecting jawi script which imply that I am not supporting Mandarin had got it wrong. DAP and PR support the free use of mother tongue only to respect the official language, Bahasa Malaysia. We have to respect others desire to use jawi and at the same time to enable others to respect our mother tongue language, and it doesn’t matter whether it is Jawi, Chinese ,Tamil , Kadazan etc.
BN’s MCA should learn to be a responsible opposition in Kedah. Do not be politically bankrupt of what to oppose. Don’t lost sense of political direction. I find it very unfortunate for people like Kedah MCA youth leader, Bakar Arang MCA election coordinator and Kedah MCA deputy chairman to be lack of knowledge and had become so ignorant of history even having a party with UMNO for already 53 years !!!
They still did not know the status of jawi script writing.
DAP is a multi racial party and has all along been championing the use of all mother tongue languages in Malaysia. The 3 MCA leaders are beginning to be political hippocrite and now trying to protect Chinese language. Ijust want to tell them not to mislead the Chinese community in making comment on DAP and me of what am trying to mean., and to make it look as if I am protecting or promoting jawi script. I would like to tell them not to raise futher on issues like Jawi but instead learnt to serve the welfare of the Chinese and other community better instead., and that Jawi script had nothing to do with Islamic State.
On commercial advertisement board at business premises,
IS THERE ANY BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENT BOARD BEING REJECTED BY CITY/TOWN COUNCIL AUTHORITIES BECAUSE IT HAS CHINESE OR TAMIL CHARACTERS ON IT,…. OR
ARE THERE ANY BUSINESS ADVERTISEMENT BOARD BEING REJECTED BY CITY/TOWN COUNCIL AUTHORITIES BECAUSE IT HAS NO JAWI SCRIPT ON IT ?
Billboard in jawi script is not a state or federal policy, and it is only the desire of the company involved. There is no rejection or restriction of other languages. This may be the choice of company, and in this case they may be targeting the majority muslim market for their products or services.
The 3 Kedah MCA leaders should not create confusion with the intention to confuse the public in believing that Kedah PR Government is promoting Islamic state policy.
Is the jawi billboard more serious than the problems and welfare of the people?
Kedah MCA and the rest of the BN component parties is still using religious and racial issues to stir up people’ emotion, will not work anymore. The Chinese community is not ignorant any more. MCA Kedah leadership have lost sense of direction now, by repeatedly raising race and religious issue on the jawi script issue for their political survival.
