XN000022-1987-03-25 — Page 7

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25, 1987

+WHILST THE AMENDMENT APPEARS TO BE AN IMPROVEMENT ON THE BILL AS GAZETTED, IT WILL IN REALITY BE MEANINGLESS IF THE RESOURCES OF THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT'S LAW DRAFTING DIVISION ARE SWALLOWED UP IN THE TASK OF COMPLYING WITH SECTION 4, WHICH PROVIDE THAT ALL NEW ORDINANCES MUST BE ENACTED AND PUBLISHED IN BILINGUAL FORM, + HE SAID.

MR LEE SAID HE HOPED THAT THE ASSURANCES WHICH THE AD HOC GROUP RECEIVED FROM THE GOVERNMENT AS TO THE ADEQUACY OF BILINGUAL DRAFTING RESOURCES WOULD PROVE TO BE WELL-FOUNDED, OTHERWISE THE PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO SECTION 4C(1)(A) WOULD BE OF NO PRACTICAL HELP TO THE BILINGUAL LAWS ADVISORY COMMITTEE IN ITS TASK OF ENSURING THAT GOVERNMENT TOOK NOTE OF PUBLIC OPINION ON THE QUESTION OF PRIORITIES IN THE TRANSLATION OF EXISTING ORDINANCES.

VIEWS ON GAP BETWEEN WRITTEN AND SPOKEN LANGUAGE

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THE HON LEE YU-TAI SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THAT ALTHOUGH THE CHINESE VERSION OF BILINGUAL LEGISLATION WAS LIKELY TO BE WRITTEN MAINLY IN THE MODERN CHINESE LANGUAGE, ORAL STATEMENTS AND INTERPRETATIONS IN COURTS SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT IN CANTONESE.

SPEAKING IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL DURING THE RESUMED DEBATE OF THE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES (AMENDMENT) BILL 1986 AND THE INTERPRETATION AND GENERAL CLAUSES (AMENDMENT) (NO. 3) BILL 1986, MR LEE SAID THE CANTONESE DIALECT WOULD CONTINUE TO BE THE MOST EXTENSIVE MEDIUM OF COMMUNICATION IN HONG KONG.

HE SAID THAT EVEN IF MUCH WIDER USE OF CHINESE BECAME POSSIBLE IN COURT PROCEEDINGS, PEOPLE WOULD STILL MAKE ORAL STATEMENTS IN CANTONESE, AND NOT KUO YU OR MODERN STYLE OF WRITTEN CHINESE.

+1 WOULD OPPOSE TO ANY SUGGESTION FOR THE USE OF KUO YU OR PUTONG HUA IN COURTS, WHICH IS NOT ONLY IMPRACTICAL BUT ALSO DETRIMENTAL TO PUBLIC CONFIDENCE, HE SAID.

HE SAID THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HONG KONG AND MAINLAND CHINA MUST BE PRESERVED, OTHERWISE THE CONCEPT OF +ONE COUNTRY, TWO SYSTEMS+ WOULD NOT SUCCEED.

MR LEE NOTED THAT SOME PROBLEMS MIGHT ARISE FROM THE GAP BETWEEN THE WRITTEN LANGUAGE AND THE SPOKEN DIALECT. THESE PROBLEMS SHOULD BE DEALT WITH AS AND WHEN THEY OCCURRED. ANY ATTEMPT TO ALIGN THE WRITTEN LANGUAGE AND THE SPOKEN DIALECT WOULD ONLY END UP IN COMPLETE FAILURE,

/HE SAID