KUCHING: Sarawak is open to introducing street signages in Bahasa Malaysia, English, Mandarin, and ethnic languages to enhance inclusivity and accessibility.
State Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said local laws in the state allow dual languages of Bahasa Malaysia and English for road signs and street boards.
"However, we are open to having Mandarin or even the other 34 ethnic languages in Sarawak on these signs if we can find such sizes for the boards that fit all.
"We need to amend the local laws first, but if it is useful for the public and visitors, we can consider it.
"We agree with (Federal Tourism, Culture and Arts Minister Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing) that this is not a racial issue and should not be turned into a racial controversy," he said when contacted.
He said the proposal should not be politicised.
Earlier today, Karim said the use of Bahasa Malaysia in DBKL's jurisdiction should not be made an issue, as tourists come to Malaysia due to its standard of security rather than language, among others.
Karim said the rule of law in a particular jurisdiction should be respected and that there was no need to insist on using Tamil to attract tourists from India, Mandarin for tourists from China, or Arabic for tourists from Middle Eastern countries.
Tiong previously expressed his concerns over DBKL's recent enforcement against Chinese-language signboards, describing the actions as excessive and counterproductive.
He said such a decision had directly influenced tourists' decisions to visit Malaysia and undermined the country's competitiveness on the global stage.