21
The demoralization of the civil servants is inimical to the
integrity and performance of the civil service. It is also part
and parcel of the problem of 'ungovernability' which afflicts.
Hong Kong in the transitional stage. The jittery civil servants
have weakened the government. A weakened government, on the other
hand, is bound to invite aggressive demands from the civil
servants, who are increasingly obsessed with their own short-term
self-interests. The spate of pay disputes, industrial actions and
demands for pension guarantees and the British nationality
initiated by the civil servants lately attests to the erosion of
authority of the government, who can no longer rely upon
hierarchical authority to keep its own house in order. The
recalcitrance and unruliness of the civil servants in turn
weakens the authority of the government and its ability to deal
with the escalating public needs. As the government is still the
only organized political force in Hong Kong, its own
'disorganization' is bound to have ominous political
reverberations. The collective actions of the civil servants are
repugnantly received by the general public. At a time when the
people have increased their moral demand on public officials to
exercise leadership, their self-seeking behavior would only erode
public trust in and support for the government.
(6) The problem of 'ungovernability' is exacerbated by the
poor economic performance of Hong Kong in recent years. Until
recently, Hong Kong had recorded impressive growth in its real
21 Cooper and Lui, 'Democracy and the Administrative State,
336.
p.