Stop. Look. Listen

Stop. Look. Listen

Government is tone-deaf. With a false majority in the Executive Council and the Legislative Council, the government is unable to hear the voices, opinions and aspirations of the community.

Working across government silos is clumsy and takes ages. Existing practices and regulations obviously outdated are left untouched to avoid risking unintended consequences. Once a ‘line to take’ is agreed after internal circulation of new policies and plans, officials do their best not to make any changes ‘otherwise nothing gets done.’

Add a ‘government knows best’ attitude among civil servants, half-hearted use of public consultations (‘we have taken a balanced view’ and ‘further changes can be considered at the next stage’) and colonial powers to push projects through and you end up with a government prone to walking off the cliff.

This problem affects not just political, constitutional and mainland affairs issues.

The extradition bill has shown in spectacular fashion how government, together with its advisors and supporters can find themselves opposite the people of Hong Kong. There are hundreds of other examples which demonstrate the systemic failure in the administration’s governing style from big to small. My office is stacked with files full of them. I randomly picked two from the top of my desk.

Converting Kowloon Park into a shopping mall?

The Development Bureau is pushing to build a shopping mall under Kowloon Park to pay for pedestrian tunnels under the park to divert pedestrians away from overcrowded pavements along Haiphong Road. Park users love their oasis shaded by mature trees in the middle of the Tsim Sha Tsui bustle. Government advisors ignore the real problem. Haiphong Road is over used because it is the only barrier free link from Canton Road to the MTR. To cross Kowloon Park Drive further south, people are forced to use tunnels and they hate it. Re-open street level pedestrian crossings at Peking Road, Middle Road and Salisbury Road, and the park can be saved. (The deadline for comments is 21 August – click here for more information.)

Redeveloping Wah Fu but no population increase?

Wah Fu Housing Estate is crumbling and is braced with steel beams. Redevelopment is needed. The first phase is to build on five nearby sites so that the population can be decanted and demolition can commence. Once rebuilt the population will increase from 26,000 to 61,000 residents. But we found that the site formation and road works for the first phase did not take the ultimate population growth into account. So we asked the many bureaus and departments involved to confirm that the planned works will not hinder the future development at Wah Fu and other known projects in Pokfulam. None of them could. Next we asked the Executive Council. They referred us back to the departments. Stuck in a loop is enormously frustrating, but we can never give up.

The greatest city again

Following the large extradition bill demonstrations Government says it recognizes the problem. In the words of the Chief Secretary: “Government is determined to ensure that the Government’s future work will be closer and more responsive to the aspirations, sentiments and opinions of the community in order to reconnect with our people.”

So I earnestly hope we wake up tomorrow to learn that Kowloon Park is saved, the streets of Tsim Sha Tsui can be crossed, a comprehensive plan for Wah Fu and Pokfulam is drawn, and democratic reforms have restarted. That Hong Kong is again the greatest city to live and work in.

(Based on article published in Southside Magazine - August 2019 issue)

「兼聽則明，偏聽則蔽」

在行政會議及立法會大多數的假象底下，現屆政府已經無法聆聽民意。再加上一種「政府深知 / 了解 / 清楚 / 充份掌握」的公務員心態，以「盡力平衡各方意見」等說辭掩飾公眾諮詢缺乏誠意，並透過殖民政府遺留下的特殊權力硬推法案，一步一步，香港政府將自己帶到懸崖上的絕路。

這種傲慢事出有因。與其腳步蹣跚地翻動政府架床疊屋的架構，倒不如把現有過時的程序及守則維持原狀，以免誤及意想不到的問題。同時，新守則或做法一經內部傳閱，相關官員都盡可能不作任何更動，否則事情只會永無休止。

逃犯條例修訂就為我們清楚示範政府如何與其智囊及支持者站在香港市民的對立面，而這偏聽的情況亦不絕於政制及內地事宜。現行制度失效的例子數以百計，或大或小，我隨手都能在辦工室抽出一兩件詳談。

九龍公園

發展局正推動於九龍公園地底發展商場，以資助興建公園底下的行人隧道，分流海防道擠擁的人流。公園老樹的樹蔭，儼如尖沙咀鬧市中的綠州，深得市民喜愛，但政府智囊卻無視問題的根本：海防道長期人頭湧湧，歸因它是唯一連接廣東道及地鐵站的通道。如要從九龍公園徑繼續往南，市民只能使用隧道，這顯然不是一個受歡迎的選項。只要重開北京道、中間道及梳士巴利道的行人過路處，就能免於動及花園的一花一草。（網上聯署截止日期為2019年8月21日，請按連結）

華富邨重建

用上鋼椿加固的華富邨已殘舊不堪，重建迫在眉睫。第一階段是在附近興建五棟住宅安置原區居民，同時開始拆卸工程。重建後，預計當區人口會由26,000上升至61,000人，但前期工程的施工範圍及道路工程卻未有考慮到重建後的人口增長。我們向多個相關政府部門提出質詢，卻無一能確認相關工程不會影響華富邨重建計劃及其他薄扶林區的項目。在進一步向行政會議問及同樣問題，結果亦只是獲轉介至其他部門。在層層相連的程序中打轉相當耗費心力，但我們絕不能放棄。

香港

百萬計市民就逃犯條例上街遊行，政府回應說他們了解市民訴求。政務司司長指出「政府決心確保未來工作會更貼近民意，並盡力回應市民，以重新與市民同行。」

我衷心希望明日一覺醒來，九龍公園完好無缺，尖沙咀的街道暢通無阻，華富邨及薄扶林的項目計劃完整規劃，政改亦得以重啟。如此，香港才能回復過來，再次成為最好的居住及工作城市。 

(立場新聞2019年8月18日連結:「兼聽則明，偏聽則蔽」)