KUCHING: The Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) will maintain the current policy of using mono-language road signs.
DBKU mayor Datuk Junaidi Reduan said the stance was decided during the commission’s full meeting last Monday.
“The commission had a full meeting last Monday and our stand is to maintain the current policy of one language－the national language－for the time being.”
He said this in response to a query on the status of the application submitted by Democratic Action Party Youth (Dapsy) to have dual-language road signs with Chinese characters.
When asked about DAP claiming that the late chief minister, Pehin Sri Adenan Satem, had given a directive for dual-language signs in 2015, Junaidi said he was unsure of this.
“I am not aware of this. As far as I am concerned, I have seen the policy, written that the decision was to have only one language…that is the national language,” he told the press after a function here yesterday.
On Aug 20, Dapsy members had tried to affix Chinese characters on road signs around the city, including Jalan Main Bazaar, Wayang Street and Jalan Green Hill.
The act received backlash as it was done without DBKU’s approval and contravened the Local Authorities Ordinance and Local Authorities (Cleanliness) By-Laws.
Dapsy later removed the Chinese characters after DBKU issued the order and the former then submitted a request to the commission to restore the bilingual road signs.
