The Legislative Assembly (AL) passed a government-initiated bill amending the local law on the use and protection of the national flag, national emblem and national anthem, as the new versions of the country’s National Flag Law and National Emblem – two of the several national laws that are applied in Macau – came into effect on January 1 this year.
The bill’s outline was passed during a plenary session of the local legislature in May. The legislature’s 1st Standing Committee held three meetings to review the bill, before it was re-submitted to yesterday’s plenary session for its final debate and article-by-article vote.
The Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) passed amendments to the National Flag Law and National Emblem Law in October last year.
The local amendment bill which was passed yesterday states that anyone displaying the national flag upside down or hanging it upside down will face a fine of between 2,000 and 10,000 patacas, in addition to the current regulation according to which anyone displaying or using a damaged, defiled, faded or substandard national flag faces the same fine.
The amendment bill also states that the national flag and national emblem are to be included in second and primary school education. The bill also states that the local government may request news media outlets to assist it in launching its promotional campaigns for the national flag and national emblem.
The local amendment bill will take effect on the day after its promulgation in the Official Gazette (BO).
The Macau Basic Law’s Annex 3 lists the national laws, resolutions and regulations that are applied in the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR). According to the Macau Basic Law, national laws shall not be applied in the autonomous region, except for those listed in its Annex 3.
The National Flag Law and National Emblem Law have been applied in Macau since the establishment day of the Macau Special Administrative Region on December 20, 1999, when local Law No. 5/1999 came into force.
Image of the nation’s five-star red flag – Wikimedia Commons
