Chinese character for royal, not a cross, says developer on building lights

Looi Sue-Chern Looi Sue-Chern Updated 5 years ago · Published on 14 Jan 2019 12:21PM · 22 Comments

The developer says when lights on the top floor and at the car park level are switched on, the Chinese character “wang” (王), which means “king” or “royal”, will be visible. – Facebook pic, January 14, 2019.

THE lights at the Grace Residence building in Jelutong, Penang, were never meant to show the sign of the cross or have any religious meaning.

A spokesman from developer Nova Mulia Development Sdn Bhd said the lights at the apartment, which was near 90% completion, were being tested. 

“Perhaps when pictures were taken, the lights had shown a cross. But the lighting is not meant to show a cross.

“We have lights on the top floor and at the car park level too, but the photographs did not show the two top and bottom rows of lights turned on at the common areas.

“So all that was shown are the lights that form a cross,” she told The Malaysian Insight.

If all lights at the top floor and car park level are turned on, the Chinese character “wang” (王), which means “king” or “royal”, will be visible.

It is also a common Chinese surname, also read as “ong” in dialects like Hokkien, which is widely spoken in Penang.

“That is what the lights would normally show at night,” she added.

Pictures of a cross formed by the apartment building’s light have recently gone viral, leading to an outcry among some Muslims over the display of a Christian symbol. 

Islam is Malaysia’s religion of state, and proselytising to Muslims by practitioners of other faiths is illegal.

Late last week, Penang mufti Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor issued a statement urging the local authorities to direct the developer to change the position of the lights so they would not show a cross when turned on.

On Saturday, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the state had asked the developer for an explanation. He also said the developer was testing the lights at the apartment.

Chow said it was an apartment and not a house of worship, while also reminding all parties to respect the sensitivities of others.

The developer’s spokesman said her firm had informed the state, as well as the Penang Island City Council, of the situation.

“Even this morning we had a meeting with the local authorities. They understand the situation,” she said. – January 14, 2019.

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Comments

  • The Penang government is wasting its time pandering to Muslim supremacists and bigots.

    Posted 5 years ago by Rupert Lum · Reply

  • That was what the problem were! Non Chinese trying to guess Chinese writing. Well, it just shows what is the benefits or non benefits if one does not understand the full meaning of the other race!

    Posted 5 years ago by Chris Kwan · Reply

  • So what if it is a cross?

    Posted 5 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply

  • So what if it is a cross?

    Posted 5 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply

  • Seriously, it's just lights people. Chill

    Posted 5 years ago by Geraldine Jambu · Reply

  • Why bother to explain. ????? The Penang State Government were elected by the Penangnites and not those imported Muslim bigots. This is a free world and nobody owes them anything as it is within the constitutional rights. When the nons are passive and meek you deserve to be slapped and if you intend to offer the other cheek do not complain and whine.

    Posted 5 years ago by Lee Lee · Reply

  • If any ruling exists to forbid cross like structure, it will only irks architects and structural engineers who sometimes think such design is of aesthetic or technical necessity. Any alternative design only defeats the intended effect and economy.

    Posted 5 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply

  • Can someone complain about the crossroads we have. It is a cross and its promoting Christianity.

    Posted 5 years ago by Adrian Tan · Reply

  • No point really to explain to these extreme bigots, they will always find something to make an issue of, no matter how trivial.

    Posted 5 years ago by Xuz ZG · Reply

  • I think the religious bigots need to be sent for Chinese classes for wasting everybody's time.

    Posted 5 years ago by Arul Inthirarajah · Reply

  • Tongsan was far behind us and fascinated to see our proton cars some 30 years ago. But today, through hard work and determination they managed to buy over proton and send rocket to the dark side of the moon. Meanwhile over here we are still wasting our time arguing over the 'cross'.
    Won't be surprise Vietnam will overtake us very soon.
    Well done, scUMNO morons.

    Posted 5 years ago by Chee yee ng · Reply

  • The depths of moral depravity to which some have sunk, pretending piety.

    Posted 5 years ago by Antares Maitreya · Reply

  • Didn't know some lights will get some morons lesser in faith....

    Posted 5 years ago by Will Be Humble · Reply

  • Didn't know some lights will get some morons lesser in faith....

    Posted 5 years ago by Will Be Humble · Reply

  • Didn't know some lights will get some morons lesser in faith....

    Posted 5 years ago by Will Be Humble · Reply

  • You just cant play play with the Pontianaks in the night...it really frighten the shit out of them

    Posted 5 years ago by Jeffrey Ng · Reply

  • You just cant play play with the Pontianaks in the night...it really frighten the shit out of them

    Posted 5 years ago by Jeffrey Ng · Reply

  • It's a cross resemblance and the developer is not to blamed. The problem lies with the follower's faith, period.

    Posted 5 years ago by Butter Scotch · Reply

  • So the picture proves that those who first raised the hue and cry about the "cross" were not only ignorant and bigoted, also quite myopic.

    Posted 5 years ago by Leong Hong · Reply

  • The picture proves that not only were the complainants ignorant and bigoted, they also had bad eyesight.

    Posted 5 years ago by Leong Hong · Reply

  • Alphabet "t"...beware!!

    Posted 5 years ago by KC Yip · Reply

  • One day 1 + 1 will also be forbidden.

    Posted 5 years ago by Tanahair Ku · Reply