WEDNESDAY, JULY 23, 1986
- 17
GOVERNMENT LEAD TO PROMOTE CHINESE LANGUAGE URGED
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THE GOVERNMENT IS OBLIGED TO SET AN EXAMPLE TO PROMOTE AND ENHANCE THE SOCIAL STATUS OF THE CHINESE LANGUAGE, THE HON TAM YIU-CHUNG SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
GIVING AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THIS COULD BE DONE, HE SAID IT SHOULD REVIEW THE CRITERIA OF CIVIL SERVICE RECRUITMENT, AND ACTIVELY PROMOTE THE MOTHER TONGUE.
+ ONLY THEN CAN BOTH ENGLISH AND CHINESE VERSIONS OF THE STATUTE LAW BE ACCEPTED AS OF EQUAL STATUS BY THE COMMUNITY,+ HE SAID.
MR TAM WAS SPEAKING DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE DISCUSSION PAPER ON LAWS IN CHINESE.
WHETHER OR NOT THE OBJECT OF EQUALITY IN THE USE OF BOTH OFFICIAL LANGUAGES COULD BE ACHIEVED WAS A QUESTION OF SOCIAL CONCEPT, APART FROM THE QUESTION OF LEGAL STATUS, HE SAID.
+ IF THE SOCIAL CONCEPT DOES NOT CHANGE FROM PUTTING MORE WEIGHT ON ENGLISH THAN CHINESE' TO 'PAYING EQUAL ATTENTION TO BOTH LANGUAGES', IT WILL BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR BOTH VERSIONS OF THE STATUTE LAW TO BE ACCEPTED EQUALLY, HE SAID.
+THE LAWS WRITTEN IN CHINESE IN THE FUTURE AFTER USING MUCH OF OUR RESOURCES MAY WELL BE SHELVED IN THE LOFTY ATTIC.+
MR TAM SAID THE DISCUSSION PAPER SUGGESTED THAT STEPS SHOULD BE TAKEN TO CONSULT INDIVIDUALS AND BODIES CONCERNED IN CHINA TO ENSURE THE LANGUAGE USED IN THE LAWS OF HONG KONG WAS CONSISTENT WITH THAT USED IN CHINA.
+THIS SUGGESTION IS BENFICIAL TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF 'ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS', BUT ATTENTION SHOULD BE PAID TO THE ASPECT OF TERMINOLOGY SO THAT THE LEGAL TERMS CAN BE EASILY MADE OUT AND CONFORM TO THE GENERAL PRACTICE AND UNDERSTANDING IN HONG KONG,+ HE NOTED.
MR TAM ALSO PROPOSED THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD PUBLICISE ALL INFORMATION ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE BILINGUAL LAWS PROJECT, SO THAT THE PUBLIC COULD ANALYSE AND DISCUSS THE MATTER IN MORE DETAILS.
MR TAM POINTED OUT THAT IN THE PAST ALL LAWS IN HONG KONG HAD BEEN ENACTED IN ENGLISH, AND THE PUBLIC HAD FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND.
+HENCE, TO LEGISLATE IN CHINESE AND TO TRANSLATE INTO CHINESE THE EXISTING STATUTE LAW WOULD HELP THE PUBLIC TO COMPREHEND THE LAW, AND KNOW A PERSON'S RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS, AND WOULD BE AN IMPORTANT STEP FOR HONG KONG BECOMING A DEMOCRATIC AND LEGAL SOCIETY, HE ADDED.