First and foremost, the actual aim of DAP is not to promote tourism thru various languages, it was originally a Chinese chauvinistic action by them.
In DAP pre-GE12 gimmick, they hope to win the support of Chinese Penangites by proposing Chinese road signboards. In July 2008, a group of Gerakan Youth members led by Dr Thor Teong Ghee did a tit-for-tat action to redicule DAP into fulfilling their "impossible" promise - putting up additional ONLY Chinese road signboard in Penang.
Luckily, the granting of the World Heritage status by UNESCO to Penang enable a WAY OUT for DAP, by subtlely twisting their originally chauvinistic promise of only Chinese signboard, they CHANGED their proposal into having street name signs in various languages to hide their real aim, intent and proposal. DAP is actually the "leopard that had changed it spots"(refer to today Star, Sat 22, 2008 to understand what I meant).
Eventually, I believe the implementation of the multi languages street name signs may be successful due to the fear of Gerakan Youth monitoring and pressure.
The notes below are taken from my press conference today on Multiple Language Road Signs (or Is It Dual Language Road Signs?)
- As expected the Penang Copycat government copied the previous dual language road sign standard of having English as the subsidiary or second language (see sample pix for Lorong Lumut, a side road off Acheen street). The copycat government solution to the “multiple” language road signs was to replace the smaller English road name positioning on heritage road sign with other language.
- Instead, we have the same street with various different signboards using different subsidiary language situated at different locations. For example, at Acheen Street, the street name with Arabic is at the Carnarvon St end, the Mandarin version is at the junction with Cannon St while the Tamil version is at the junction with Victoria St. Unfortunately, this is DAP level of capability and it took them many months cracking their heads to come up with their best solution.
- However, this is still a dual language road signs, it is not a multiple language road signs. It is nothing new. Dual language road signs exist in other states too.
- In order to have the other non-English subsidiary languages incorporated into this new road sign, it would have meant revising the guideline on road sign board. In revising, they should have also resize the board to enable some additional subsidiary languages to be used although with a smaller font size in respect to the font size of the National Language.
- Where is the original road sign with the English translation? For example, Lebuh Acheh is well-known as Acheen Street, it is missing from the new road sign. I search high and low for the English one, it had been removed. It shows a serious lack of incompetency, another sloppy job as the Asean Culture Centre and Kings of Tennis. Luckily, it is not yet an expensive cost.
- English should be on all the heritage road sign boards. English is one of the foremost international language.
- The peculiarities of the Penang heritage roads require special understanding and handling. The State government should ensure that this is not done half-heartedly and corrupt the localized names by over-simplifying this task. This issue started as a DAP political gimmick to get Chinese votes, Tanjong Youth hope that eventually good results will come out of this due to pressure from Gerakan Youth and others.
- The heritage road's historical information board (by PHT)also need to be improved. It is look like a temporary board and is not attractive. It is more effective in promoting and sharing the history of the heritage roads. However, content-wise it is a very good effort.
- Instead of only the relevant officers and YBs, half the Pakatan Rakyat Aduns attended yesterday GRAND OPENING CEREMONY of the “Lebuh Acheh” road signs. It is shameful that this is the best they can do and the best they can gloat about after nearly 9 months in power. There are many more important and urgent task ahead for the State Government especially maintaining and boosting the economic living of the rakyat. I hope they will not want to be called the ROAD SIGN GOVERNMENT (Kerajaan Jalanan) in the future.
13 comments:
This is really dumb...
"Instead, we have the same street with various different signboards using different subsidiary language situated at different locations. For example, at Acheen Street, the street name with Arabic is at the Carnarvon St end, the Mandarin version is at the junction with Cannon St while the Tamil version is at the junction with Victoria St."
Dumb!
The photo of lebuh acheh ain't even bilingual. both malay, one in rumi + jawi. stupid PR exercise.
Can I put in a word for the need of a proper international language.
Certainly the promulgation of English as the world's "lingua franca" is impractical and linguistically undemocratic. I say this as a native English speaker!
Impractical because communication should be for all and not only for an educational or political elite. That is how English is used internationally at the moment.
Undemocratic because minority languages are under attack worldwide due to the encroachment of majority ethnic languages. Even Mandarin Chinese is attempting to dominate as well. The long-term solution must be found and a non-national language, which places all ethnic languages on an equal footing is essential.
An interesting video can be seen at http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=_YHALnLV9XU
A glimpse of Esperanto can be seen at http://www.lernu.net
Gerakan chickens got whacked from UMNO for even thinking about DAP's plan.
DAP got guts to put up the multilingual signs and GErakan youth chickens who are dogs to UMNO are now protesting on behalf of UMNO. In this way MCA is much better for supporting DAP to put up the multilingual signs, only Gerakan has still remained UMNO dogs. Kudos to MCA, keep up your improvement.
I thank DAP for putting up multilingual signs, its great sign of multiracialism.
Gerakan anjing will only love bahasa malaysia and attack other languages.
Gerakan anjings claim they are multiracial but Gerakan is actually suck ups to the UMNOputeras especially this Gerakan idiot called Khoon Leng.
'In DAP pre-GE12 gimmick, they hope to win the support of Chinese Penangites by proposing Chinese road signboards'
Author of this blog is embarassing. He chose to write in English despite pathetic use of language and also points. They hope to win? Hahahaha
They won for your information you useless Gerakan leader. DAP didnt hope to win, but actually won! And you know what, Penangites kicked every single Gerakan ADUN and MPs out of Penang because we cant tolerate corruption, racial politics and abuse of power. We wanted LGE and we got LGE. Gerakan and Khoon Leng will never make it to the government ever again. Sorry, but you sold us and we will teach you corrupted animals a lesson.
Check and balance is good but doing it with a tone of sour grapes definitely does not help the state overall.
I am not sure about your motive as you claimed that you make DAP successful by checking & reminding them. Don't you think it will back fire on you in the next GE when they have more success to show ? Human remember the main actor but not the supporting actor.
If what you do is to represent the Gerakan Youth, the future will be very bleak as from my perspective, the whole team is not looking at the BIG BIG picture.
Names calling doesn't represent the maturity of the party or society but it will cause others to dissent you. Human likes to associate with positive people as it motivates them but when people who complains flock together, they will be left there to rot.
I know what I have written may hurt but that is the truth of the current situation and a challenge for you and Gerakan Youth is to plan on how to be more matured.
Or does that role is what your current State Chairman suggested ?
If it is, then good luck. You have just laid Gerakan pre-maturely to rest.
Dear anonymous above:
Name calling is the specialties of the DAP and many of its supporters.
Actually, the last sentence regarding the Road Sign Government or Kerajaan Jalanan was not issued to the press. I deleted it just before printing. Therefore, it did not appear in any press. Accidentally posted, sorry.
I also don't enjoy name calling, but look at the amount of name callings done by the DAP supporters in BN supporter blogs that allowed unmoderated posts. Now, many choose to moderate.
I only do it sparingly, for DAP and its supporters it is second-nature.
My criticism is a duty, Gerakan is in the opposition. I do not oppose for the sake of opposing. As a Chinese, it is consider by many a political suicide to critic on this. I don't want to join the bandwagon to be popular and compromise my political thoughts.
If the DAP take my criticism positively, they will benefit. As a Penangnite, I do not want to see constant failures.
I actually requested Berita Harian and Utusan Malaysia to print an additional statement hoping that the Malay communities will not demonstrate and do anything drastic - they choose to take a hardline stand and totally ignore my statements.
Wow! A party moderates its policies upon feeling some pressure from the public?
You called it a "leopard that had changed it spots".
I call it democratic check and balance.
This is petty fault-finding that lunges into petitio principia fallacy.
cheers
Thanks for your patient in absorbing up these name callings. Firstly, you don't have to join someone doing something just because they are enjoying doing that. As an upcoming politician, you need to demonstrate maturity in knowing what is right and what is wrong.
Secondly, the opposition roles that you are playing are the 1960s and is outdated. The roles are like a tiger waiting to pounce on its prey. This is acceptable in the 1960s but as the society and community matures, this is no longer very much encouraged.
Thirdly, you need to strategize and understand what your voters wanted from Gerakan to make it relevant again. I believed matured voters does not enjoy mud slinging.
Fourthly, the issues should be resolved from a Malaysian context and not from the racial community. You can advice them or etc but it will NOT work as long as you don't make them see that this is a Malaysian issue and not a racial issue. We need to demonstrate that it is a WE and not MY or GERAKAN.
Lastly, I will encourage you to think of STRATEGY and how to make GERAKAN relevant again. You may not like it, but at the rate GERAKAN is going, they will not WIN anything in the next GE. If this is so, the truth is that they need to "close shop" as you won't have enough fundings, manpower and etc without a source of income.
To "Me";
The phrase "leopard that had changed it spots" was used by Lim Guan Eng to put down his opponents. This blogger was merely using the same phrase to illustrate his point.
HKL, you are so funny.. If the 'faults' posted here are the only 'faults' that the 'opposition' can come up with, then I think the DAP gov is doing a darn good job. Your complains are so petty. This whole roadsign language thing is only the big issue it is now because UMNO is desperate and over-politicizing everything. KL already have them la. Don't be fooled by them.
You criticise DAP for name-calling but you do it yourself (sparingly or otherwise). Where's the integrity?
You want DAP to take your criticism positively because you do not want to see constant failures, but in the next paragraph you failed to get Berita Harian and Utusan to take you seriously. Doesn't look like you're that successful yourself huh.
Seriously, since when do UMNO or Utusan ever listen to Gerakan...
Fishhook:
Isn't better to know the faults early before it became costly?
Now it is just only 5 signs of RM300 each. It will run into hundreds of signs later.
You are blinded by your love for LGE.
Multilingual road signs idea 'copied'
NST online, 2-11-2008
Audrey Dermawan
GEORGE TOWN: The implementation of multilingual road signs in the heritage enclave of the city centre by the Pakatan Rakyat state government is not something new.
Gerakan Tanjung division Youth chief H'ng Khoon Leng said the idea was copied from the previous administration.
He said the Barisan Nasional-led state government had previously put up English language road signs on selected routes.
"The current government only copied the previous dual language road signs standard of having English as the subsidiary second language. Its solution to the multilingual road signs was to replace the smaller English road signs with other languages.
"These are still dual language road signs and not multilingual road signs. It is nothing new," he said yesterday.
H'ng said the road signs put up by the current administration were confusing as each sign only had two languages.
"A sign should have all the different languages for everyone's convenience.
"The peculiarities of the Penang heritage road signs require special understanding and handling.
"The state government should ensure that this is not done half-heartedly and corrupt the localised names by over-simplifying this task.
"It is shameful that this is the best they can do and the best they can gloat about after nearly nine months in power," he added.
On Friday, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng unveiled the new road signs at the junction of Lebuh Acheh and Lebuh Carnavon.
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