Chong: State DAP ready to cooperate with DBKU on road sign issue
KUCHING: Sarawak DAP is ready to cooperate with Kuching North City Commission (DBKU) and other relevant authorities to solve the controversial road sign issue.
Its Sarawak chairman Chong Chieng Jen said Democratic Action Party Socialist Youth (Dapsy) is also prepared to face the consequences if they have violated any council by-laws.
“We will give our full cooperation in accordance with the law of the council and any other relevant authorities,” Chong told reporters at the Kuching District police headquarters yesterday.
Chong was there to give his moral support to the Dapsy members who were called in by the police to record their statements at 3pm.
He added that their presence at the police station also reflected their desire to solve the issue with the authorities.
On another note, Chong, who is also Stampin MP and Kota Sentosa assemblyman, said the issue has been blown out of proportion by a majority of netizens in Peninsular Malaysian who see the ‘ act’ from a racial perspective.
Most of the comments from there on their Facebook’s page, he said, did not understand the true situation in Sarawak whereby most of the road signs in major towns and cities are multilingual.
“Multilingual road signs have always been in the state even before the formation of Malaysia, which is why it is actually an act of good intent to restore and preserve Sarawak’s multiculturalism,” said Chong.
He also hoped that Peninsular Malaysians could see multiculturism in Sarawak as an asset to the country.
Chong also said that former DAP parliamentarian Julian Tan has actually lodged a report on the new road signs (which omitted the Chinese characters) to the council a few weeks ago.
However, no action has been taken by DBKU.
He also cited the Kota Samarahan Municipal Council which took swift action to replace a road sign in Stakan (Kota Sentosa) when a similar change was made recently.
“This is something good and special in Sarawak which is multilingual. This is our tradition and shows that multiculturalism in Sarawak is something all Sarawakians are proud of,” he added.
Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong, Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii, Julian Tan and Dapsy deputy chief Daphne Ting were also present at the police headquarters yesterday.