Zong Li or Zong Du? Tussle over Chinese word for premier

 

Richard Wee, president of the Sarawak Federation of Chinese Associations, and Kuching South mayor Wee Hong Seng are in favour of “Zong Li”.

KUCHING: A debate has broken out in the Chinese community over the appropriate Chinese term for “premier”, the new title of Sarawak’s head of government.

The Sarawak Federation of Chinese Associations has come out in favour of the term “Zong Li” which it said referred to “a region within a country”, and reflected the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963.

The federation disputed the contention of the Chinese Language Standardisation Council of Malaysia that the more appropriate term is “Zong Du”.

The federation said “Zong Du” is literally translated to mean governor and was inappropriate with “elements of colonialism”.

However, the standardisation council said the federation’s preferred term “Zong Li” could be taken to mean that Sarawak is “a country within a country”.

The federation’s president, Richard Wee, was quoted as saying today that he has been invited by the State Secretary’s office for a meeting to discuss the translation.

He said the federation would adhere to its stand that Zong Li remains the proper translation, Borneo Post reported.

Kuching South mayor Wee Hong Seng has urged the state government to gazette an appropriate translation. “Outsiders should not interfere in this as we know what to translate for our premier,” he was quoted as saying.

“Other people outside Sarawak have no right to tell us what to call our premier. If you look at the translation for premier across the globe, it is Zong Li,” he said. according to the Borneo Post.

“Why are we wasting time on this argument? Singapore is using Zong Li, so is China, and Sarawak is agreeable to it (Zong Li).” Wee said Sarawak had the autonomy to decide what to call the premier in Chinese.

The change of title from chief minister to premier took effect on March 1 after the constitution was amended to reflect the status of Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners of Malaya in the formation of Malaysia.

The English word “premier” is used for the heads of government in Canada’s provinces and territories, and by Australia’s states. - FMT