Chinese signage sparks war of words between Malaysia’s MCA and DAP

KUALA LUMPUR/KAMPAR – A heated exchange of words between two ethnic Chinese political parties within Malaysia’s ruling coalition has erupted over the issue of Chinese signage, with the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) and Democratic Action Party (DAP) rallying to position themselves as champions of the local Chinese community.

At issue were a suggestion to remove some Chinese signage in Jalan Petaling, in the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown, which did not materialise, and a missing Chinese-character signboard in a community hall in Perak that was eventually restored after renovation works.

But these presented opportunities for the two parties to defend Chinese culture and identity in Malaysia – for the once-mighty MCA to regain lost ground, and for its long-time rival DAP to reaffirm its standing among Chinese voters ahead of the party’s national congress and triennial elections on March 16.

On Feb 23, MCA president Wee Ka Siong declared he would do his “utmost” to defend the use of Chinese characters in Jalan Petaling, responding to concerns raised by the local hawkers’ association that a Kuala Lumpur City Hall officer had suggested removing Chinese characters from two signboards during a meeting in June 2024 about beautifying Jalan Petaling.

“As dictated by advertising by-laws and policies, the Chinese characters cannot be removed if the Bahasa Malaysia (characters are) larger,” said Datuk Seri Wee at a Chinese New Year celebration dinner in Jalan Petaling attended by around 300 guests.

While that suggestion was not formally proposed or approved at the June meeting, Kuala Lumpur Hawkers and Petty Traders Association chairman Ang Say Tee was worried the matter would be revisited, and hence brought up the issue at the event on Feb 23.

On Feb 25, DAP parliamentary leader Nga Kor Ming visited Jalan Petaling and promised that the Chinese characters on signboards would be preserved, “as solid as rock”. Multilingual signage is permitted as long as it respects the national language Bahasa Malaysia, he added.

However, Mr Nga, who is also the Minister of Housing and Local Government, called for Mr Wee to apologise for “intentionally inciting racial friction”.

“We are waiting for Mr Wee to publicly apologise. After being widely reported in the media, the issue has created unease among the Chinese community,” Mr Nga was quoted as saying in Chinese newspaper Sin Chew Daily.

For local Chinese voters like Mr Kong, 52, who wanted to be known only by his surname, the preservation of Chinese characters on Jalan Petaling’s signboards is crucial for maintaining cultural identity.

“Of course, Chinese characters must be protected. If not, our history may be distorted,” the fried snack seller based in Jalan Petaling told The Straits Times on March 3.

Cantonese dessert stall owner Sam Lee, 51, is confident that Chinese characters on signboards are here to stay.

“It’s impossible to wipe it (Chinese characters) out. It’s been there for many years,” he said while manning his second-generation business in Jalan Petaling.

Meanwhile, in Perak, the local MCA chapter recently raised a ruckus over a missing signboard with Chinese (and Malay) characters at a community hall undergoing refurbishment in December in Tronoh Mines, 180km north of Kuala Lumpur.

Mr Loh Kok Weng, 48, who owns a coffee shop in the former tin-mining town, said he had noticed it and informed the local council office, but did not get a response.

In place of the old signboard was a monolingual one with Malay characters.

“We have 90 per cent of the population in the village being Chinese. When the contractor erected the monolingual Malay sign, I questioned why there were no Chinese characters,” he told ST.

On Feb 26, local MCA leader Daniel Wa, 37, rallied a flash mob of 20 outside the DAP Kampar MP’s office, with placards saying “DAP lied” and “Chinese words disappeared, DAP dares not speak”.

“There has been a dual-language (Malay and Chinese) signboard since 1950, but it was taken down during renovations. I want to ask DAP’s village head, state assemblyman, MP and Mr Nga, how solid is Chinese signage?” the 37-year-old leader told reporters in a Facebook live broadcast on his page on Feb 26. Mr Nga is also Perak state’s DAP chairman.

When renovations were completed, a new trilingual signboard – in Malay, Chinese and Tamil – was installed at the Tronoh Mines community hall on March 1, announced triumphantly by DAP’s Perak state assemblywoman Shasha Veraiah on her Facebook page.

The Chinese signage issue has become important for cultural identity and a sense of belonging, particularly in the context of the minority Chinese community in Malaysia, said Mr Teh Boon Teck, a lecturer in journalism at Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman.

“In the era of social media, local issues involving race and religion can quickly escalate into national issues. MCA acted swiftly to protest, reinforcing its image as a defender of Chinese rights and helping to secure support from part of the Chinese community,” he told ST.

“If DAP leaders, especially ministers and state executive councillors, cannot resolve the signage issue, it may ignite dissatisfaction among the Chinese community,” said Mr Teh, who lives in Kampar, Perak.

As it stands, MCA’s loss of political influence marks a far cry from the past, when it was a core member of Malaysia’s then ruling alliance Barisan Nasional for decades. Its leaders used to hold important Cabinet posts, such as in the transport and health ministries.

MCA’s political heyday was in 2004, when it won 31 seats in Parliament and had four federal ministers, eight deputy ministers and four parliamentary secretaries. Today, it has no Cabinet ministers, and only two seats in Parliament.

MCA has since suffered from waning support among Chinese voters, who have increasingly turned to DAP, a key component of the ruling Pakatan Harapan coalition led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

DAP, which has 40 MPs, proved more effective in securing Chinese votes at the 2023 elections involving six states, and a series of by-elections.

In Malaysia, Malays form the majority with 60 per cent of the 34 million-strong population. Ethnic Chinese and Indians make up 22.6 per cent and 6.6 per cent of the population, respectively.