25 businesses fined over signboards without Jawi

KUANTAN: Twenty-five business premises owners in this district, were each fined RM250, for failing to use Jawi writing on their business signboards.

Kuantan Municipal Council (MPK) Corporate and Public Relations head, Norkamawati Kamal said the compounds were imposed on premises located around the town, Batu 3 industrial area and Padang Lalang here.

“The compounds were imposed on those who have ignored the directive on the use of Jawi script which was enforced on January 1 and it is hoped that with this stern action the premises owners would take heed of the regulation.

“A reasonable period of time has been given to include the Jawi writing to their signage. In fact, they were given one year to do it,” she told reporters here yesterday.

Norkamawati said among excuses given for failing to comply with the directive were too short notice and delay in receiving the finished artwork.

The business premises imposed with the compounds yesterday have also been given a three-month period to include the Jawi script on their business signboards or they may face sterner action, she added.

“All business premises owners are urged to cooperate and should they continue to ignore the directive, they will not only be fined but their business licenses may also be revoked,” she said.

The regulation to put up Jawi writing on business signboards in Pahang was enforced on Jan 1, after an earlier directive which was pushed to June 2019 was further extended to December 31 last year.

The directive was also in line with the decree by the Yang diPertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, who is also the Sultan of Pahang, in efforts to elevate Jawi writing in the state.