Hong Kong monkeys around with King George VI statue.

(From Agence France Presse)

Controversy has erupted in Hong Kong over plans to replace a statue of King George VI with one of Chinese leader Dr Sun Yat-sen, with the old monarch's statue slated for the monkey enclosure, it was reported Friday.

After a fierce debate on the proposal Thursday, local government councillors failed to reach a decision on whether the statue of the British monarch should be replaced.

"What concerns me most is that even our committee members cannot reach a consensus on the issue," councillor Chan Chit-kwai told reporters.

Councillors argued over whether it was erasing Hong Kong's colonial past to remove the king's …