ID :
31637
Sat, 11/22/2008 - 21:39
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/31637
The shortlink copeid
STATE TO PROCEED WITH USES OF MULTILINGUAL ROAD SIGNS
PENANG (Malaysia), Nov 21 (Bernama) -- The northern state of Penang government will proceed with its decision to use multilingual road signs and street names to promote Georgetown here as a World Heritage Site.
Its Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said it was merely adding English, Tamil,
Chinese, Arabic and Jawi (a kind of arabic writing) in the signboards while
retaining Bahasa Malaysia in deference to it being the national
language.
"We want to boost Penang tourism and this is part of our effort to attract
more tourists to visit Penang after the recognition by Unesco as a World
Heritage Site," he told reporters after the installation of five signboards in
different languages along Lebuh Acheh here Friday. Penang is governed by
an opposition party after the last general election.
He said the multilingual road signs could assist many foreign tourists in
exploring Penang as a multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-religious
city.
He said multilingual signboards had been put up in many cities, including
Kuala Lumpur which had added Arabic and Jawi on its road signs.
"We cannot be a closed society if we want to survive and compete globally,"
he said, adding that each of the signboards cost about RM300 (RM82.76).
(US$1=3.62)
Asked to comment on southern state of Melaka Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam
remark that he should be aware earlier of the Unesco guidelines on world
heritage site, Lim said Mohd Ali's words could not be trusted.
"Mohd Ali said that (Bollywood heart-throb) Shah Rukh Khan will come down
to Melaka on Nov 29 to receive his Datukship (title honour) but it was called
off.
This shows that the Mohd Ali does not mean what he says and does not say what he
means," he said.
Last Wednesday, Lim was reported as having said tht the guidelines were not
made widely known when they were first put in place and the state government
only became aware of them when Georgetown's Unesco status was approved.
-- BERNAMA
Its Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said it was merely adding English, Tamil,
Chinese, Arabic and Jawi (a kind of arabic writing) in the signboards while
retaining Bahasa Malaysia in deference to it being the national
language.
"We want to boost Penang tourism and this is part of our effort to attract
more tourists to visit Penang after the recognition by Unesco as a World
Heritage Site," he told reporters after the installation of five signboards in
different languages along Lebuh Acheh here Friday. Penang is governed by
an opposition party after the last general election.
He said the multilingual road signs could assist many foreign tourists in
exploring Penang as a multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-religious
city.
He said multilingual signboards had been put up in many cities, including
Kuala Lumpur which had added Arabic and Jawi on its road signs.
"We cannot be a closed society if we want to survive and compete globally,"
he said, adding that each of the signboards cost about RM300 (RM82.76).
(US$1=3.62)
Asked to comment on southern state of Melaka Chief Minister Mohd Ali Rustam
remark that he should be aware earlier of the Unesco guidelines on world
heritage site, Lim said Mohd Ali's words could not be trusted.
"Mohd Ali said that (Bollywood heart-throb) Shah Rukh Khan will come down
to Melaka on Nov 29 to receive his Datukship (title honour) but it was called
off.
This shows that the Mohd Ali does not mean what he says and does not say what he
means," he said.
Last Wednesday, Lim was reported as having said tht the guidelines were not
made widely known when they were first put in place and the state government
only became aware of them when Georgetown's Unesco status was approved.
-- BERNAMA
