Race Row Erupts Over Mall Signs As Malaysians Push Back Against Dr Mahathir’s Claims

People are throwing shade at the former PM’s selective outrage, and Tourism Minister Tiong King Sing isn’t having any of it either.

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Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has sparked controversy over Chinese language signage in shopping malls, drawing sharp criticism from the public who say he is stoking racial tensions over a non-issue.

At the heart of the debate are signs at Pavilion Bukit Jalil Mall that Dr Mahathir highlighted on social media, claiming they exemplified the dominance of the Chinese language in public spaces.

But social media users quickly pointed out that the signs in question were specifically for pork-related products – items that, given religious sensitivities, would naturally be labelled in Chinese rather than Malay.

“It’s common sense. You wouldn’t expect halal establishments to use Arabic signs to sell pork,” said one TikTok user in a widely-shared video.

This only happens in places like Bali, Indonesia, where they use Bahasa Indonesia for all products regardless.

@edynoorreduan
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Tourism Concern Raised

The backlash against Dr Mahathir’s comments – in what feels like a tired rerun of Malaysia’s eternal identity crisis – reflects growing fatigue among Malaysians over the use of racial rhetoric in public discourse, particularly from political figures.

Many are calling for more constructive discussions about Malaysia’s multicultural identity rather than what they see as attempts to create division over everyday business practices.

Ya, so my question was, are we against only chinese signboard, or anything that's not in our national language? By that logic, DBKL should have issues with Pizza Hut too right? Since it's not BM. 😏😏
— Taz Gan (@TuaKinChio) November 25, 2024

Tiong King Sing, the Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, also criticized Dr Mahathir for his negative remarks regarding Chinese signboards, stating that such criticism is not constructive.

Tiong expressed concerns over the Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) enforcement actions against Chinese-language signboards, believing these measures could negatively impact Malaysia’s tourism appeal.

The Malaysia Chinese Restaurant Association (MCRA) has also highlighted that its members are experiencing increased operational costs due to DBKL regulations and enforcement actions.

The Chinese language signage has been there for ages and why none of the previous PMs, esp Mahathir, take action to ensure it also includes BM? Why Mahathir is bringing it up now and DBKL is doing their job now? Anyway, is the proficiency of English and BM a requirement now?
— Steven Liew (@StevenLiew7170) November 26, 2024

The Other Side of the Story

But because this is Malaysia, there’s always another side.

Some folks are riding with Dr Mahathir, waving the national language flag and insisting rules are rules.

Dbkl sapu semua kaum punya kedai la bodoh macam mana boleh jadi menteri setan ni. Bila mai tang cina oh terpaling kena tindas https://t.co/LQGdQllSbe
— im speking!! (@g8keepur) November 25, 2024

Opposition MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal jumped in too, taking shots at Tiong for apologizing to Chinese tourists – because apparently, that’s where we’re at now.

With social media amplifying both sides of the debate and local businesses caught in the crossfire, Malaysia’s struggle to balance cultural rights with national identity continues to be a delicate tightrope walk – one that shows no signs of resolution in the near term.

The more things change, the more they stay the same in this corner of Southeast Asia, where language politics remains as predictable as the afternoon rain.

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