KUALA LUMPUR, November 26 — Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has voiced concerns over the dominance of Chinese characters on signboards in Kuala Lumpur, claiming it reflects a neglect of the national language, Malay. Sharing his observations from a weekend visit to the city’s newer shopping malls, Dr Mahathir criticized the lack of Malay in business signage, which he said featured prominently in Chinese and English.
“Is this Malaysia, or have we become a part of China?” he questioned in a social media post, expressing dismay at what he perceived as a cultural shift. While acknowledging the global utility of English, Dr Mahathir questioned the widespread use of Hanzi, reportedly so prominent that Chinese media has allegedly referred to Malaysia as “Little China.” He urged authorities to address the issue to preserve the status of Malay as the national language.
