Recently, the Minister of Housing and Local Government (KPKT), Nga Kor Ming, took to his X profile to showcase the newly upgraded Ayer Tawar Market in Perak.
He wrote, “The Madani government continues to serve. Now, one by one, the old public markets are being rebuilt, upgraded and made easier for local people to utilise. KPKT is moving forward.”
Pasir Mas MP questions the need for 3 languages
However, following this, Pasir Mas MP, Fadhli Shaari (PAS), questioned why the market’s signboard required 3 languages, Bahasa Malaysia (BM), Mandarin and Tamil.
In a Facebook post, he shared, “Congratulations to KPKT for their success in renovating the public market in Ayer Tawar. But I do have to ask a question, is there an urgent need to have 3 languages on the wall of the market?”
“After this, will it be KPKT’s policy to include 3 languages on official government buildings? Please provide me with an answer.”
This has left Malaysians divided
While some agreed with the Pasir Mas MP that there shouldn’t be the inclusion of other languages besides BM, others pointed out that the Ayer Tawar area is home to a multiracial community and that the inclusion of different languages should be welcomed.
“In actuality, there is only a need for Bahasa Malaysia, there is no need to write in other languages. Do Malaysians who are non-Malays not understand Bahasa Malaysia in its simplest f0rm?”
“The official language of this country is Bahasa Malaysia. All citizens must understand Bahasa Malaysia. There is no need for other languages. The government should be strict in this issue.”
“Have you been to Ayer Tawar? Ayer Tawar is a mixed area, with a roughly balanced population of the 3 main ethnicities. As far as the 3 languages on the signboard goes, there is absolutely no issue.”
“What is the problem with including 3 languages for the ease of all the people? After all, Malaysia celebrates being multiracial. On top of that, Ayer Tawar is not a Malay-only area.”
What do you think of the inclusion of the 3 languages on the Ayer Tawar Market signage? Do feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.
