Penang Watch

The Star paper titled a story as `boycot Malay daily' which is rather misleading. Boycotting Utusan Melaysia is not equivalent to boycotting `Malay' daily-by enlarging the target of boycott the Star is painting a misleading and possibly racial picture to the boycott targetting Utusan Melaysia. As a paper the Star should watch out for such dangers of misreporting. Utusan Malaysia's racial reporting certainly does not represent the Malay community's diverse views. The Star should make a correction to this significant mistake.

Tuesday October 28, 2008(Star)
Boycott Malay daily, Lim urges Penangites

GEORGE TOWN: Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has urged Penangites to boycott Utusan Malaysia for condemning the state government’s move to put up street names and road signs in multiple languages.

“We are proud of using Bahasa Malaysia as our national language. We are merely adding certain languages to the existing road signs in Bahasa Malaysia.

“For example, Lebuh Acheh may also be written in Arabic and Jawi. What’s wrong with that? In China, there are road signs in English to help tourists. So, why can’t we add another language on our road signs?” he asked.

Lim said there were road signs in Johor which are in Jawi.

“So, why doesn’t Utusan condemn its Mentri Besar? I urge the people to boycott it and replace it with any other Malay daily,” he said when opening Batu Lanchang assemblyman Danny Law’s service centre in Perak Road on Sunday.

On Saturday, Utusan Malaysia carried a focus piece on the road sign issue, stating that the Penang Government was trying to undermine the national language.

It was earlier reported that additional road signs in Chinese, Tamil and Arabic would be added to the original Bahasa Malaysia signs at the heritage enclave by December.