Zuraida: Ministry to introduce federal guidelines on road signs
SIBU: The federal Housing and Local Government Ministry will be introducing the federal guidelines on road signs nationwide next year in an effort to promote and strengthen the use of Bahasa Malaysia.
Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin informed The Borneo Post via SMS yesterday that the directive on this matter had been issued when asked on the likelihood of her ministry introducing these guidelines throughout the country in 2019.
“Yes (these guidelines will be introduced next year). I have issued a directive to all state chiefs,” Zuraida added.
Earlier, when asked if the intended federal guidelines on road signs would also cover the Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak, she replied in the affirmative.
Zuraida was recently reported as telling reporters at the Parliament lobby that the Housing and Local Government Ministry planned to come up with federal guidelines on the use of Bahasa Malaysia on road signs.
According to her, the current policy and enforcement on the use of the national language only involves advertisement billboards.
“There are no guidelines at the federal level. With the issue (in Selangor), the ministry will have to conduct a review and issue sterner guidelines,” she was quoted as saying.
It was reported that last Monday, the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah decreed that all road signs in Shah Alam bearing Chinese words would be replaced with signs written only in Bahasa Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Assistant Minister of Local Government Datu Dr Penguang Manggil said road signage and billboards in Sarawak were in order.
Penguang pointed out that as provided for under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 ( MA63) and the Malaysian Constitution, Sarawak has its own autonomy in many areas including the operations and functions of the local authorities.
The Marudi assemblyman added that the Public Works Department Sarawak has formulated the state’s own guidelines on road signage which have been enforced.
“We also have our own Advertisement By-Laws on business names and billboards, which came into effect in 2012.
“As far as road signage and billboards are concerned, everything is in order,” he said.