According to the Malay Mail, a signboard on a pedestrian bridge in Melaka featuring Mamee’s snack brand mascot, the Mamee Monster, that read “Kthxbye” (chatspeak for “Okay, thank you, goodbye.”), was recently taken down the city’s mayor.
The sign was reportedly placed on a pedestrian bridge near the Al-Azim state mosque and was taken down by order of Melaka Historic City Council (MBMB) Mayor Mansur Sudin because of the “improper language” used on the sign. This order was given shortly after a photo of the sign began to go viral on social media.
Source: Twitter
With the previous message was taken down, the brand new message now written on the sign reads, “Semoga berjumpa lagi, bye bye!” (“Hope to see you again, bye bye!”). Mayor Mansur Sudin stated that the new billboard was installed at 11pm on Friday night (10th May). He was quoted by Astro Awani as saying,
“The company should have gotten the council’s approval before proceeding with putting up the sign. When an application is made, we usually assess if the sign follows our requirements before approving it.”
Source: Harian Metro
He added that MBMB almost always approves signs that are in Bahasa Melayu as long as they are not in conflict with cultural norms.
“One of our requirements is that these signs must always use correct language, along with words and photos that are not insensitive or controversial.”
What do you think about this sign being taken down? Let us know in the comments section!
Also read: Starting Aug 2019, Local Businesses in Kuantan Must Use Dual-Language Signs & Include Jawi
