By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Nov 30: Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) Youth chief David Yeo Ang Lim has slammed three Malaya-based politicians for their involvement in the ongoing signboard controversy and using it to cause division.
Yeo said that Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal, Masjid Tanah MP Mas Ermieyati Samsudin, and UMNO Youth chief Datuk Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh have taken turns linking Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture Dato Sri Tiong King Sing’s recent apologies to the people of Japan and China over incidents that involved tourists from both countries to the Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) enforcement action on business signboards.
“These three politicians have proven themselves that no publicity is too cheap to garner political advantage,” he said in a statement posted on the party’s Facebook today.
He explained that Tiong, who is PDP president, is taking after Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s cue in making Malaysia a safe and inclusive destination for tourists from abroad.
“Ethnical diversity and harmony has always been our biggest selling point, it is an insult for these three seasoned politicians to narrowly frame Dato Sri Tiong’s willingness to personally take responsibility to better Malaysia’s tourism industry as no more than a racial controversy over signboards.”
Furthermore, he said, Wan Fayhsal should self-reflect on his six-month suspension from the Dewan Rakyat for breaching parliamentary proceedings, while Mas Ermieyati should provide constructive feedback and research on why signboards should prominently feature Bahasa Malaysia instead of making race the main focus.
As for Dr Akmal’s remarks, Yeo claimed that he had forgotten the fundamentals of a responsible politician as he had called for Tiong’s dismissal without the consideration of his Barisan Nasional (BN) partners and used racial characterisation in the language of signboards without consideration for tourists.
Yeo then encouraged the trio to look into Sarawak’s ability to maintain ethnic harmony and foster cultural tolerance, as the Prime Minister has warned the country’s youth against falling into racial manipulations and encouraged them to foster multicultural harmony.
“It is too easy to pollute national issues with racial components. It is up to competent practical figures such as Dato Sri Tiong to continue the sustainable development of tourism in Malaysia.
“We shall not succumb to cheap practitioners of 3R (race, religion, royalty) issues. Stop with the cheap headlines and focus on building the country.”
On November 26, Tiong stated via his Facebook clarifying that his recent apology to the people of Japan and China was in response to the serious accidents involving tourists from these two countries in Malaysia and that it was not related to the ongoing controversy surrounding the signboard issue.
Yesterday (Nov 29), PDP deputy president Dato Henry Harry Jinep called the ongoing signboard issue an unnecessary distraction and urged politicians to focus on more pressing matters such as infrastructure development and tourism enhancement. — DayakDaily
