11
SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 1985
MR PONG HIMSELF ENTERED GOVERNMENT SERVICE VIA THE FORMER PRISONS DEPARTMENT AS A PRISONS OFFICER CLASS 11 IN 1951 WHEN HE WAS STILL AN 19-YEAR-OLD YOUTH.
+ON HINDSIGHT, MR PONG REMINISCED, +1 MUST SAY THAT THE DISCIPLINE INSTILLED IN ME AS A PRISONS OFFICER ALSO SERVED ME RATHER WELL IN MY CAREER AS A HEALTH INSPECTOR.
+ BUT I DIDN'T FANCY SERVING A LIFE TERM IN THE PRISON,+ SAID MR PONG.
HIS KEEN INTELLECT AND CAPACITY FOR HARD WORK SOON FOUND HIM WEARING THE BADGE OF A PROBATIONARY HEALTH INSPECTOR IN 1957 AFTER +THE TOUGHEST EXAMINATION IN MY LIFE.+
+THE SYLLABUS COVERED SUCH A WIDE SCOPE OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE AND CANDIDATES FOR THE HEALTH INSPECTOR GRADE EXAMINATION WERE VERY MUCH ON THEIR OWN IN THEIR PREPARATION FOR IT. THEY LEARNT WHAT THEY CAN DURING THEIR ONE-YEAR COURSE BY ATTENDING SCATTERED LECTURES GIVEN BY OUTSIDE INSTRUCTORS. THERE WAS NO USD TRAINING SCHOOL THEN AND THE PASSING RATE WAS LESS THAN 50 PER CENT,+ MR PONG SAID.
HIS TRAINING AND DEDICATION TO DUTY SOON HAD HIM MOVING STEADILY UP THE RANKS AND HE BECAME, AT VARIOUS TIMES, THE SENIOR HEALTH INSPECTOR FOR ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH, THE SENIOR HEALTH INSPECTOR FOR FOODS, THE DEPUTY MANAGER FOR THE CHEUNG SHA WAN ABATTOIR, THE CHIEF HEALTH INSPECTOR FOR CLEANSING, AND URBAN SERVICES OFFICER AND FINALLY STAFF OFFICER IN CHARGE OF ABATTOIRS, HAWKERS AND MARKETS.
IN HIS LAST POST, HOLDING THE RANK OF SUPERINTENDENT, MR PONG WAS INVOLVED MAINLY IN THE PLANNING OF MARKETS AND OTHER URBAN SERVICES PROJECTS, ASIDE FROM ADVISING THE DIRECTORATE OF WHAT HAS NOW BECOME THE REGIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
7
REFLECTING ON HIS LAST JOB, MR PONG SAID: THOUGH NO FAULT OF THE DEPARTMENT AND LIKE MANY OTHER JOBS, I FIND MY WORK RATHER FRUSTRATING AT TIMES BECAUSE OF THE MANY CONSTRAINTS. FOR EXAMPLE, FROM THE OPTIMUM SERVICE POINT OF VIEW, I WOULD RECOMMEND A MARKET COMPLEX TO BE DESIGNED IN A PARTICULAR MANNER, BUT DUE TO LAND AND FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS, IT'S SELDOM THAT I SEE THE GREATER PART OF MY RECOMMENDATIONS CARRIED OUT. +
+
THE MODEST MR PONG DECLINED TO OFFER ANY ADVICE FOR HIS SUCCESSOR BUT VOLUNTEERED THESE OBSERVATIONS: +TO BE ABLE TO FUNCTION EFFICIENTLY, YOU MUST HAVE MUTUAL TRUST WITH YOUR COLLEAGUES, INCLUDING YOUR SUBORDINATES, MY ONLY REGRET IS THAT THE PROMOTION PROSPECT IN THE HEALTH INSPECTOR RANK COMPARED SOMEWHAT UNFAVOURABLY WITH OFFICERS OF SIMILAR RANK IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS. IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR A HEALTH INSPECTOR TO REMAIN IN THE SAME RANK FOR 10-15 YEARS. I HOPE THIS SITUATION CAN BE RECTIFIED SOON TO BOOST MORALE AND ATTRACT MORE WELL QUALIFIED NEW RECRUITS INTO THE RANKS.+
/12