Page 19 of 233
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
3
2
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
ADDRESS BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Ladies and Gentlemen, the meeting is called to order. I would first of all like to congratulate Mr. Lawrence FUNG, Dr. Kim CHAM and Dr. Philip Kwok on their re-appointment to the Council. (applause)
I would also wish to take this opportunity to welcome Dr. Ronald LEUNG Ding-bong, Mrs. Margaret LI NG Suk-kay and Mr. Lo King-man to the Council. (applause) I am sure that they will find the Urban Council to be a co-operative, hard-working and capable body of Hong Kong citizens in which the special contribution from each of our three new Members will be most welcome and beneficial to our community.
Since the last Council meeting, Mr. F. K. Hu, Mrs. Grace Ho and Mrs. Selina CHOW have finished their terms of office on the Council. At today's meeting, I would like to say a few words in recognition of their service.
Mr. F. K. Hu was appointed to the Council in 1973. He has made a great contribution to the Council in numerous fields which have varied from hawkers and markets, to other subjects dear to his heart, such as recreation and culture. Mr. Hu was one of our most hard-working Councillors; despite being a Member of the Legislative Council, Housing Authority and the District Board, he had put numerous hours per month into the Council's committees and in informal discussions.
Mrs. Grace Ho was appointed to the Council in 1974 and has over the years also served on many committees and will be remembered for her work on the Environmental Hygiene Select Committee as well as her more recent work with the Museums Select Committee in particular. Through her drive and determination, we are at long last seeing some progress being made towards the building of new museums. We already have a temporary Museum of History which has proved to be a considerable asset.
Mrs. Selina CHOW has been a Member of the Council since 1980 and during that time she has been a most active and vocal Member of the Council. Her main interests have been in cultural activities and entertainment programmes where she has considerable expertise, which has been of great benefit to the Council.
I speak for all Members of the Council in wishing them the very best in their future endeavours.
MINUTES
The minutes of the meeting held on 13 March 1984 were confirmed.
(Mr. Edmund W. H. CHOW arrived at this point—2:36 p.m.)
STATEMENT BY CHAIRMAN
CHAIRMAN (in English):-Most Members of this Council, I am sure, will support the views of Legislative Council Members that before any agreement on the future of Hong Kong is ratified by the British and Chinese Governments, the proposals in such an agreement should be found to be acceptable to Hong Kong people. This process should include heeding the views expressed not only in the Legislative Council but also in the Urban Council as well. I am sure that through such a consultative process, the end result would be the building of an even greater measure of confidence among our 5.5 million people in our long term future. Meantime an early joint statement of agreement on broad principles by China and Britain will be most welcome by Hong Kong people.
Another subject of considerable interest to the Council is of course the Government's proposal to set up a second council, similar to the Urban Council, in the New Territories.
But rather than say too much more on both of these subjects, I would like to look to another very important date—a date of enormous significance not only to Hong Kong but to the people of the whole world—and that is the advent of the year 2001 on the Western calendar.
Such a date must mean much to all of mankind, signalling as it does the ringing out not of the old year, or even the old century, but of the second thousandth year of civilization since the birth of Christ.
It will be a time of momentous celebration, I am sure—and let us hope that will also be a time of peace on earth and goodwill to all men, signalling a watershed in man's history when there truly will be peace and concord on earth with all races and creeds linked together by the bonds of freedom, fellowship and friendship.
And, getting closer to home, let us hope that this momentous year will see Hong Kong as prosperous as ever, as dynamic, as progressive, and as bustling---- for that is the kind of Hong Kong that we know, and the kind of Hong Kong that is known to the world.
But the year 2001 we can predict that our population will be approaching 7 million. I would hope also that these Hong Kong families will all properly be housed in modern flats, and that the New Towns will by then have become fully integrated satellite cities where most of our population will be living in comfort and security.
Further, in the urban areas, I can say without hesitation that the wide range of facilities and services already provided by the Urban Council will be widened and extended, so that the quality of life in Hong Kong will be even better for our oncoming generations.
Page 19 of 233