Mahathir sees 'big Chinese characters' on signboards in KL, asks if M'sia part of China now

Former Malaysia prime minister Mahathir Mohamad complained that signboards in Chinese with English translations have become common in the capital Kuala Lumpur, with nothing in the Malay language.

He then questioned the authorities for allowing shops to put up these signs and asked if Malaysia has become a part of China.

Social media posting on language issue

Mahathir, who made his observations in a Nov. 18 social media post, said he witnessed the shift to Chinese words during a visit to the city during weekends, especially to its newer shopping malls.

While he said the development was impressive, he criticised the neglect of Malay in the signs put up by the retailers.

“All the signboards are in Chinese with English translations. Nothing in Malay. Not at all," Mahathir wrote.

“So is this Malaysia. Or have we become a part of China.”

He claimed that Malaysia was unlike other Southeast Asian countries by allowing shops to display Chinese characters prominently, but attributed this practice to the presence of tourists from China.

“But our national language is Malay,” he wrote.

Going further, he claimed to have heard that the display of Chinese characters for signs in Malaysia is so ubiquitous that Chinese media referred to Malaysia as "Little China".

On the other hand, Mahathir explained that seeing the display of English words in public was understandable as it was the lingua franca.

Responses

Reactions to Mahathir's post were divided.

Some supported his call to put the Malay language first to observe Malaysia's customs and to cater to the local population, while others wrote that Mahathir was stoking racial tension by wading into such matters that are the purview of commercial entities.

Those who opposed what Mahathir was implying rejected his imposition of his old nativist worldview when cosmopolitan Malaysians might have already become more accepting of cultural infusion in this day and age.

One person responded sarcastically by writing "你好 👋", which translates to, "How are you?" in Chinese, with a hand-waving emoji.

Cannot use other languages in excessive manner

According to Free Malaysia Today, Kuala Lumpur City Hall said in October 2024 that it issued 20 fault notices and 10 enforcement notices to shop owners for “using languages other than the national language in an excessive manner” from January to Oct. 16 this year.

It reminded shop owners to prioritise the use of Malay on their signboards, saying the signboards were not mere decorations but were regulated under advertisement by-laws enacted in 1982.

Top photo via Mahathir