GEORGE TOWN: An accountant filed a suit at the High Court here yesterday against Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) and the state government over the multilingual road signs.
Nik Rizman Sapian, 33, of Kuala Lipis, Pahang, said he was offended by the road signs.
He named MPPP and the state government as the first and second defendants respectively.
In his statement of claim, Nik Rizman stated that on Oct 24, the Penang government, at the state executive council meeting, had approved MPPP's application to put up multilingual road signs at the heritage areas here.
He stated that the decision was reported in local newspapers as well as on the Internet on Oct 25. Nik Rizman went on to state that after reading the reports, he felt disturbed and offended.
He claimed that he felt his right as a citizen to accept Bahasa Malaysia as the national language had been breached.
He is seeking a declaration that the state government's decision to approve MPPP's application to put up the multilingual road signs is against Article 152 of the Federal Constitution.
He is also seeking an injunction to prevent MPPP from putting up the multilingual road signs at the heritage areas.
Asked why he was filing the suit, Nik Rizman said that as a responsible citizen, he felt the need to do so as the Federal Constitution was being breached.
About 200 members of Gabungan Graduan Melayu Muda from Johor, Perak and Selangor gathered at the Esplanade here to show their support for the suit.
Here's art.(152) of the Federal Constitution for your reference and meditation.
152.
(1) The national language shall be the Malay language and shall be in such script as Parliament may by law* provide:
Provided that-
- (a) no person shall be prohibited or prevented from using (otherwise than for official purposes), or from teaching or learning, any other language; and
- (b) nothing in this Clause shall prejudice the right of the Federal Government or of any
State Government to preserve and sustain the use and study of the language of any other
community in the Federation.
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of Clause (1), for a period of ten years after Merdeka Day, and thereafter until Parliament otherwise provides, the English language may be used in both Houses of Parliament, in the Legislative Assembly of every State, and for all other official purposes.
(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of Clause (1), for a period of ten years after Merdeka Day, and thereafter until Parliament otherwise provides, the authoritative texts-
- (a) of all Bills to be introduced or amendments thereto to be moved in either House of Parliament, and
- (b) of all Acts of Parliament and all subsidiary legislation issued by the Federal Government,
shall be in the English language.
(4) Notwithstanding the provisions of Clause (1), for a period of ten years after Merdeka Day, and thereafter until Parliament otherwise provides, all proceedings in the Supreme Court or a High Court shall be in the English language:
Provided that, it the Court and counsel on both sides agree, evidence taken in language spoken by the witness need not be translated into or recorded in English.
(5) Notwithstanding the provisions of Clause (1), until Parliament otherwise provides, all proceedings in subordinate courts, other than the taking of evidence, shall be in the English language.
(6) In this Article, "official purpose" means any purpose of the Government, whether Federal or State, and includes any purpose of a public authority.
Has he ever thought about why the council wants to put up multilingual roadsigns?
I bet he REALLY sued for fear of breach of the Constitution. So noble. Ah.
Nothing better to do ar? I heard accountants quite poorly paid wan leh. Got money to waste in lawsuit eh?
And we wonder why we're still so stuck in our current economic and political state while places like China grow mountains.
It's amazing this sort of thing still happens enough to be mentioned in the papers.
i've decided to begin and end each post with a cheesecake photo.
p/s: this is for you, shan. XD
