By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, Nov 26: Malaysian Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture, Dato Seri Tiong King Sing has clarified that his recent apology to Japanese and Chinese tourists has nothing to do with the ongoing debates over local signboards with Chinese characters.
He explained that the public apology he made during the recent 2024 China International Travel Mart (CITM) in Shanghai, China, was in relation to serious accidents involving Japanese and Chinese tourists in Malaysia.
“I sincerely apologise for our shortcomings in ensuring the safety of tourists, and this is not merely an apology without basis.
“I also want to emphasise that this apology has nothing to do with the signage issue. Instead, it is our responsibility as hosts to ensure that tourists can enjoy their holidays safely and happily,” he said in a statement today.
Tiong was responding to Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal’s comments, which criticised his recent actions as unnecessary and trivial.
Wan Ahmad Fayhsal also questioned whether Tiong was acting as China’s tourism minister instead of Malaysia’s, stating that if the roles were reversed, there would be no issue of Malaysians traveling to China and “begging” for English-language signages to accommodate Malaysian tourists.
With this, Tiong expressed disappointment with Wan Ahmad Fayhsal, questioning whether proper research had been conducted before making statements that criticised the apology.
Tiong’s apology came following the tragic traffic accident on the North-South Expressway in Perak on Oct 24, 2024, involving a tourist bus that resulted in killing one Japanese and injuring 12 others.
Addressing the signage debate, Tiong urged the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to communicate more effectively and respectfully with businesses to resolve the issue without causing unnecessary tension.
This comment likely stemmed from DBKL’s operation on Oct 14, 2024, to remove Chinese signboards along Jalan Imbi in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur.
DBKL’s decision to enforce the removal of signboards for not displaying the message in Bahasa Malaysia was seen as an effort to observe compliance with the Small Signboards (FT) 1982 Bylaws.
However, the removal of Chinese characters, which had been widely used due to the large Chinese-speaking population, sparked criticism.
Many viewed the policy as regressive and out of step with Malaysia’s multicultural identity. — DayakDaily
