The vanity of a rank, Meng Keo Pechta: Address me by my rank (as Lok Chumteav)
Singer Meng Keo Pechta: Officially you must call me by my rank
Friday, October 5, 2007
Rasmei Kampuchea newspaper
Translated from Khmer by Heng Soy
Singer Meng Keo Pechta (Pechta) said: “Under normal circumstances, people can call me Miss, or Sister Meng Keo pechta, but officially, I must be addressed by my rank.�
Pechta’s declaration was made during the “Entertainment Evening� program on CTN TV station, where she was a guest star on 22 September. After each song she completed, Khieu Sansana and Pho Sopha, the presenters, would ask her a question, and among those questions, the presenters asked Pechta: “How should I address you? Bang (Sister) Meng Keo Pechta or Neak Neang (Miss) Meng Keo Pechta?�
Pechta replied: “Under normal circumstances, people can call me Miss or Sister Meng Keo Pechta, I don’t mind, but officially, I must be addressed by my rank.� The star, who already has one child, explained with an example case: “I don’t mind people call me Sister or Miss, this is no different from addressing a monk. For monks, when old people talk to them, they say “I� (Kh-nhom), and they designate a monk as “him� (Koat), and the monks wouldn’t mind about it.
Based on Pechta’s claim, we understand that officially people must call her “Lok Chumteav Meng Keo Pechta� (Wife of an excellency Meng Keo Pechta) because her husband is Muong Khim and he holds the title of “Ek-ouddam� (His Excellency).
In another question, the presenter asked Pechta why she was not seen in any TV music program. Pechta replied: “Recently, I was on tour in Australia for 5 weeks, and when I returned home, I was too busy recording for local and overseas production companies. That is why I didn’t have time to participate in TV stations music programs.�
Credit to original translation