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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
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bargain. At a time when historic changes are about to take place, personal sacrifices may become inevitable. I feel ashamed to see that some people chanting for a faster development of a democratic government in Hong Kong, but at the same time see fit to fight for the right of abode, alleging that such is only an insurance.
If it is felt that the pursuit of the Right of Abode Campaign is necessary to prevent an increasing number of emigration, then I feel particularly sad. I regret that the educated mass who has benefited so much from this society choose not to do their duty to the society at its most critical moment. Perhaps they should remember that the majority of their fellow citizens in Hong Kong have to remain and continue their life here. They have put aside their duty to the society and its majority members.
Apart from the right of abode issue, there have been a lot of other rather negative comments such as, in criticizing the government's role in fighting with China for a faster change to a representative government, it has been said and told that any failure is a failure towards the people to whom it is responsible, and will render the government incapable. Such comments only jeopardize the already delicate confidence instead of boosting it. I ask why at such a critical time should people discredit the Hong Kong government further and introduce more elements of instability.
I seem to have painted a very negative picture. My real concern is to put the emphasis and direction in a better trace. If efforts are concentrated on Hong Kong's infrastructure and system, more constructive results might be achieved.
It can hardly be argued that Hong Kong's future lies in a continued or even greater prosperity, and independence from Chinese interference. The spirit of the Joint Declaration 'One country two systems' is really simply this. To ensure that Hong Kong does enjoy a separate system, it is so important that its economic prosperity and international character be preserved. If we want stability preserved after 1997 for 50 years, we have to start off with the stability we already have now. If the present system is toppled and prosperity goes with the wind, what is there to be preserved? What is there to remain unchanged?
We are aware that there is an increasing loss of skilled manpower and expertise. We are also aware that a more representative government will minimize Chinese interference. We therefore have problems and targets to work for. To prepare for the future, for better or for worse, we should address our mind to the present infrastructure and system. We must examine whether there are inherent problems and loopholes which should be resolved and rectified in order to lay the ground for improvements.
In my view, one of the most important aspects of our infrastructure is our education system. The most immediate concerns are the adequacy of civic education, and training of various expertise to prepare for a gradual loss of the educated elite and managerial sector. Obviously, Hong Kong cannot be deprived of her manpower. She has no more other resources to maintain its competitive position as a leading container port and world-class financial and serving centre. Well, we only have manpower. The political awareness and a civic sense must be fostered amongst our younger generation. This is even more necessary as the call for fulfilling one's duty to the society becomes more and more demanding in the future.
To ensure the independence, our education system must remain untampered with. In any civic education, we must be able to pass on such values of our society, including the western concepts of freedom and democracy, to the next generation without interference. We must be able to keep our integrity intact. We must also ensure that our education system should cater for the pressing problem of loss of human resources. It may not be inappropriate, according to my opinion, to reconsider the elite education should be reintroduced, perhaps in a modified way. Further, the importance of English should be stressed and emphasized rather than decreased in order that Hong Kong's cosmopolitan and international character could not be lost.
With the above remarks, Sir, I support the motion.
MR. CHAN TAK-CHOR (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman and Colleagues, I am not a specialist in environmental protection, but would like to speak just in the capacity of an ordinary person. Now the fact is exhaust air emitted from vehicles that crammed on the streets every day and the nuisance created by the incessant road work and construction sites have generated a lot of noise and wastes, polluting seriously the air and water quality in Hong Kong.
In this connection, I would like to give my personal comments on the following: (1) odour emanated from pigs-carrying lorries on the streets and (II) the problems with street litter bins.
(I) Of the numerous causes of air pollution, the one that has a close relationship with food consumption of the local people is the emission of repugnant smell from pigs-carrying lorries. The smell is most displeasing.
According to the statistics provided by the Urban Services Department, at present, we need a daily import of 8,000 pigs and 470 cattle from China in order to meet the local demand for fresh meat.
As the animals for human consumption are collected from various provinces of China and because of the widespread distribution of these collecting centres, different modes of transport are used for the delivery of livestock to the abattoirs.
The daily supply of live animals to the Kennedy Town Abattoir amounts to 2,100 pigs and 126 cattle.
Of these, 1,820 pigs and all cattle are conveyed by means of motorized boats plying between Cheung Sha Wan Animal Landing Pier and Ma Tau Kok Pier on Kowloon side and the pier of the Kennedy Town Abattoir.
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