21
Wednesday, October 17, 1973
Gambling
There has been considerable public discussion about our present
laws on gambling and the view has been expressed that these laws are
too restrictive, are unenforceable, and should be relaxed. On the other
hand, there are those who sincerely believe that changes of this nature would
be harmful and that it would be wrong for Government to move too quickly
to relax the present laws. Having considered both sides the Government
has decided to make only a limited move. Legislation will be introduced
to permit the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club to extend its totalisator betting
facilities on Hong Kong horse races to premises outside the Race course
itself. We propose to do no more than this at the moment.
Corruption
And now I come to the subject of corruption which has troubled
us all so much in recent months, has been so much in the nows, and has done
so much to denigrate Hong Kong in the eyes of the world.
I had been aware of suspicions of high level graft as well as of
a certainty of extensive low level corruption. But I had also been impressed
by the stringent provisions of the new Prevention of Bribery Ordinance.
I also was aware of the increasing efforts of the Anti-Corruption Branch
of the police despite tremendous difficulties. It has of course been the
practice in the United Kingdom and United Kingdom dependencies, that
corruption, like other forms of crime, should be handled by the police, and
that when a corrupt act is alleged against a policeman it should still be
investigated by policemen but from a different or a specialised unit.
That has