KUALA LUMPUR – A poster of an upcoming Chinese calligraphy competition, with a trophy named after Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming, has sparked a lively debate among netizens, who appeared to have mixed reactions over the display order of Bahasa Malaysia and the Chinese language.
Lawyer and former PKR member Faekah Husin shared a version of the poster for the 14th Nga Kor Ming Cup, which displayed event details in the Chinese language first, then Bahasa Malaysia below it.
Faekah, who was private secretary to former Selangor menteri besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, claimed the poster “went against” the instructions of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“(Anwar) said correspondence not using Bahasa Malaysia will not be entertained. They responded (with an effort) akin to calling on Chinese individuals who do not understand Bahasa Malaysia to participate in the event,” she posted.
The event will be at the Taiping Sentral Mall, Perak on January 25.
Netizens were quick to point out that the event would be held in conjunction with the upcoming Chinese New Year celebration, and the poster was not an official letter to the government.
“(It is) a calligraphy competition! Not a Chinese letter-writing to the ministry competition,” said user Zulfadli Sukarno.
“This is not an issue of the poster or the programme’s language, but an issue of the human heart that wants to create hatred towards others, for its self-interest,” said user @peanutbutter167.
“I see this programme as an opportunity to gather together and appreciate the tradition of calligraphy, no ill intentions.”
Meanwhile, user @sjneow shared Article 152(1)(b) of the federal constitution, which states that while Bahasa Malaysia shall be the national language, nothing shall prejudice the federal or state government’s right from preserving and sustaining the use, as well as study, of any other community’s language.
Conversely, user Muhammad Fairuz Azmi said programmes involving government departments and representatives must incorporate Bahasa Malaysia as the main language of instruction.
“(This is) despite the programme consisting of activities involving other mother tongues. Until when do we want to discuss such issues?”
Another user named Khai Ofdast said: “They will always ‘test (the) waters’ to see our tolerance, and whether we could assimilate with them or not.”
In a Facebook post by the Taiping Municipal Council on Wednesday, the same poster had its event’s title and details in Bahasa Malaysia first.
The post is also inundated with comments welcoming the amendment, sarcastically renaming the town as other locations in China.
The local council was reported as saying that the programme was not organised by it, but intended to celebrate Taiping’s 150th anniversary.
Scoop has reached out to Nga and Taiping MP Wong Kah Woh for their comments. – January 6, 2024