A senior official in Malaysia’s northern state of Kedah has defended the use of Chinese characters on a foundation stone for a tyre plant, after the inscription drew criticism in a country where public displays of Chinese text can become flashpoints over national identity and political loyalty.
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The controversy began after photos circulated of a foundation stone bearing Chinese characters at the groundbreaking ceremony for Prinx Tire Malaysia, the local subsidiary of Chinese tyre maker Prinx Chengshan, at Kedah Rubber City (KRC) earlier this week. The 2.6 billion ringgit (US$627 million) plant is set to become the first anchor investment at the 1,244-acre industrial estate.
The photos have prompted a wave of online criticism, with some social media users accusing Kedah’s ruling Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) of applying a double standard. Critics noted that leaders from the Islamist party have previously pushed for stricter use of Malay and Jawi – the Arabic-derived script used for writing the Malay language – on commercial signboards.
One widely shared comment on social media read: “Even the foundation stone is in Chinese. PAS claims to uphold Jawi – what a bunch of liars, phui. If this happened in Penang or Selangor, their supporters would be screaming nonstop.”
Defending the move, Haim Hilman Abdullah, the state executive councillor in charge of industry and investment and a PAS central committee member, said in a social media post that the foundation stone also carried Malay text and all official speeches at the ceremony were delivered in Malay.
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He urged the public “not to be worried” about the Chinese inscription, which he said simply read “laying the foundation”, and argued that Malaysia should show mutual respect when hosting foreign investors.