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GEORGE TOWN: A Pahang accountant has filed an injunction at a High Court here to stop the Penang Municipal Council from putting up multilingual road signs.
Nik Rizman Sapian, 33, from Kuala Lipis, claimed that the council’s move would jeopardise the position of Bahasa Malaysia as the country’s national language. A pro tem exco member of the yet-to-be registered Gabungan Graduan Melayu Muda (GGMM), Nik Rizman filed the injunction through his counsel Sahrihan Jani, from Muar, Johor, at the High Court registry here at 2.50pm.  Protest march: Mohd Khairul (second from left) leading members of GGMM during their walk to the high court building in George Town Tuesday. He is also seeking a declaration that the Penang government’s approval of the council’s application to put up the street names and road signs in different languages at Penang’s heritage enclave was against Article 152 of the Federal Constitution, which made it clear that the Malay language was the country’s national language. He is also seeking costs and other relief deemed fit by the court. In his statement of claim, Nik Rizman alleged that on Oct 24, the state exco approved the council’s application to put up the street names and signs in multiple languages in December. He named the council and the state government as the first and second defendants respectively. He said he felt that his right to maintain the position of Bahasa Malaysia as the country’s national language had been interrupted . “It is clear that the application and decision made by the council and the state government were against the Federal Constitution of which as a citizen of this country, I have the right and the responsibility to protect,’’ he said. Earlier, about 50 members of the GGMM, sporting yellow sashes with the words “Himpunan Melayu Muda’’ (Young Malays Gathering) written in Jawi, had gathered at The Esplanade at about 2.15pm where they were briefed by the confederation’s chairman Mohd Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz. Several members were also seen distributing flyers. A short while later, the group walked about 200 metres to the High Court where Nik Rizman filed his writ of summons accompanied by four GGMM members. Other members and supporters who were waiting across the road began clapping and shouted “Hidup Melayu’’ (Long Live the Malays) and “Allahu Akhbar” (God is great) as soon as they saw Rizman. The crowd dispersed at 3.05pm. - The Star
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