Secretary for Administration and Justice Sonia Chan Hoi Fan said Sunday that if the central government promulgates a law on the national anthem in the future, it would also be implemented in Macau.
Currently, the Macau Basic Law’s Annex 3 lists a total of 11 national laws which are implemented in Macau – 10 of which have been implemented since the establishment of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR) on December 20, 1999, while one was implemented in 2006 – after it had been promulgated by the central government in 2005 – concerning the exemption from judicial enforcement measures over the properties of foreign central banks.
The 11 national laws which are implemented in Macau include the national flag law and national emblem law.
A draft law on the national anthem was submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress for its first reading on Thursday last week. The draft lists the events where the national anthem should be played or sung, as well as events where it should not, according to Xinhua.
Citing the draft law, Xinhua said the national anthem should not be performed at wedding and funerals or other “improper” events, and neither should it be used in advertisements or as background music in public places.
According to the draft, those who maliciously modify the lyrics or play or sing the national anthem in a distorted or disrespectful way can be detained for up to 15 days by the law enforcement agencies.
Pointing out that the national flag law and national emblem law have been implemented in Macau, Chan said that the national anthem law – after the National People’s Congress (NPC) legislates on the matter – should and would also be implemented in Macau. She said that in addition to the national flag and national emblem, the national anthem also represents national dignity.
