THURSDAY, JULY 30, 1981
10
GOVERNMENT HELPS PROMOTE WORK OF MACS
****
THE GOVERNMENT IS CONCERNED THAT MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES SHOULD CONTINUE TO BE EFFECTIVE, THE SECRETARY FOR THE NEW TERRITORIES, MR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (THURSDAY).
MR AKERS-JONES WAS REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM DR THE HON HO KAM-FA!, WHO ASKED IF GOVERNMENT UNDERTOOK REGULAR ASSESSMENTS OF THE PERFORMANCE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF ESTABLISHED MACS AND IF GOVERNMENT WOULD MAKE A STATEMENT ON THE RECENT STANDARD OF PERFORMANCE BY MACS FORMED IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES AND IN PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS.
TO ACHIEVE CONTINUED EFFECTIVENESS, STAFF OF THE NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION AND THE HOME AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT VISITED MACS AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH, MR AKERS-JONES SAID. THESE VISITS PROVIDED AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHECK AND ASSIST THE COMMITTEES IN BUILDING MANAGEMENT AND ENCOURAGED THEM IN THE IR WORK AMONG THE RESIDENTS OF THE BUILDING.
HE SAID THE MAC MOVEMENT DATED BACK TO 1973 WHEN IT WAS LAUNCHED TO SUPPORT THE FIGHT VIOLENT CRIME AND KEEP HONG KONG CLEAN CAMPAIGNS, TO IMPROVE THE ENVIRONMENT AND SECURITY OF BUILDINGS, FOSTER A SENSE OF NEIGHBOURLINESS AMONG RESIDENTS AND GENERALLY TO ASSIST IN COMMUNITY WORK.
*THERE IS, OF COURSE, A TENDENCY FOR SOME MACS IN PRIVATE RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS TO BECOME LESS ACTIVE ONCE THE INITIAL PROBLEMS OF SECURITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT HAVE BEEN OVERCOME,+ MR AKERS-JONES SAID.
IN PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES, THE COMMITTEES PLACED MORE EMPHASIS ON FOSTERING NEIGHBOURLINESS AND HELP AND SERVICE TO ONE ANOTHER.
IN SHORT, HE BELIEVED THE 3 467 COMMITTEES NOW ESTABLISHED, TOGETHER WITH ABOUT 1 000 OWNERS INCORPORATIONS, HAD MADE A VALUABLE IMPROVEMENT TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN THEIR BUILDINGS AND AN IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
+AND WHILE IT IS TRUE TO SAY THAT IN A MOVEMENT AS LARGE AS THIS THE PERFORMANCE OF SOME COMMITTEES COULD BE IMPROVED I BELIEVE THESE COMMITTEES HAVE DONE A MARVELLOUS JOB AND THEY DESERVE ALL THE HELP AND ENCOURAGEMENT THEY CAN GET AND THE EFFORTS OF THE STAFF ARE DIRECTED TO THIS END, + MR AKERS-JONES SAID.
/11