KANGAR: Beginning February 1, the Perlis government will make it compulsory for new signboards and replacement signboards for business premises in the state to carry jawi writing.
State Housing, Local Government, Human Resources and Poverty Eradication Committee chairman Asrul Aimran Abd Jalil said the ruling will also apply to advertising billboards and road signages in housing estates.
"The framework of the enforcement guidelines is at the final stage of being finalised but we have decided to make it compulsory for all business premises' signboard and advertising billboards in the state to have jawi writing beginning February 1.
"This will apply to new applications and existing business owners who are replacing their broken or dilapidated signboards.
"Existing signboards that are still good for use will be subjected to the new ruling," he told reporters at his office.
Asrul said the business signboards will carry both Bahasa Malaysia and jawi writing, while writings either in Mandarin or Tamil will still be allowed to be used as usual.
He added that the enforcement will be applied on all business premises licensed by the Kangar Municipal Council regardless of the premises selling halal or non-halal items.
Asrul said the move is part of the state government's initiative to empower and to promote jawi writing to the people in Perlis.
"Actually, this matter (the plan) has been mentioned many times by the Menteri Besar (Mohd Shukri Ramli) to keep the jawi writing tradition alive in the state, particularly among the younger generation," he said.
He added that his side is working with the Perlis Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council, Perlis Islamic Religious Department and Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP) to ensure that the jawi calligraphy to be used is correct and complied to Munsyi Jawi standard.
Meanwhile, checks in Kangar showed that a motorcycle dealer has already embedded jawi writing on its signboard.
The dealer, Khor Ah Chien, 36, said he took the initiative to include jawi writing on his business signboard since his customers are also Malays and Bumiputera community.
"Honestly, everyone could make a good use of jawi writing and to me it is unique and I am open on this matter," he said.
Besides Perlis, Kelantan, Kedah, Pahang and Melaka have already taken the initiative to empower and promote jawi writing on business signboards and advertising billboards.