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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1985
ASKED ABOUT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ISSUING THE NEW BN(0) PASSPORTS AND THE NEW IDENTITY CARDS, THE GOVERNOR SAID THESE WERE STILL BEING WORKED OUT.
+THE IMPORTANT THING IS TO GET ALL THESE ARRANGEMENT RIGHT FOR THE MAXIMUM CONVENIENCE OF TRAVELLERS, AND THAT IS THE OBJECTIVE WE ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE.+
AS TO WHEN THE NEW IDENTITY CARDS WOULD BE ISSUED, SIR EDWARD SAID, +WE ARE GOING TO GET THE ARRANGEMENTS RIGHT FIRST AND THEN WE WILL ISSUE THE NEW IDENTITY CARDS.
+WE ARE STILL ISSUING THE CARDS IN THE PRESENT SYSTEM, AND
I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO BE IN TOO MUCH OF A HURRY.
+THE ESSENTIAL THING IS TO GET IT RIGHT SO THAT THERE IS MINIMUM INCONVENIENCE TO PEOPLE,+ HE SAID.
ASKED WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT WOULD GET IT RIGHT BY 1987, SIR EDWARD SAID THE GOVERNMENT WOULD GET IT RIGHT IN TIME.
+BUT I DON'T WANT TO MAKE PROMISES NOW WHICH WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO KEEP, HE SAID.
+I THINK IT IS MUCH BETTER TO GET THE ARRANGEMENTS AND THEN MAKE A PROPER ANNOUNCEMENT OF A TIME, SO THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS WHEN IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN.+
ASKED WHETHER IT WAS A WASTE OF PUBLIC MONEY TO CHANGE IDENTITY CARDS SO FREQUENTLY, SIR EDWARD POINTED OUT THAT SOME OF THE PRESENT IDENTITY CARDS WERE ONLY VALID TO 1989 ANYWAY.
+WHAT WE TRY TO DO WITH ID CARDS IS MAKE THEM USEFUL TO
PEOPLE.
+I THINK PEOPLE ARE BEGINNING TO FIND THAT ID CARDS ARE A VERY USEFUL WAY OF IDENTIFYING THEMSELVES IN HONG KONG,
+ THE NEW ID CARD WILL HAVE ANOTHER USE WHICH IS THAT IT WILL HAVE TO INDICATE THE RIGHT OF ABODE, SO I DON'T THINK THAT TO SPEND PUBLIC MONEY ON MAKING LIFE MORE CONVENIENT FOR PEOPLE IS A WASTE OF PUBLIC MONEY, + HE SAID.
ASKED WHETHER ENOUGH EFFORTS WERE BEING MADE TO CHECK THE INCREASED FLOW OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA, SIR EDWARD SAID THE INFLOW OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WAS NOT VERY LARGE.
+AND I THINK THE FACT THAT THEY ARE DETECTED IS QUITE GOOD EVIDENCE THAT THE SYSTEM WE HAVE IS AN EFFECTIVE SYSTEM.+
SIR EDWARD DECLINED TO COMMENT ON REPORTS THAT MOST OF THE SUSPECTS ARRESTED IN YESTERDAY'S POLICE RAID IN HAPPY VALLEY WERE LEGAL OR ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FROM CHINA,
+ONCE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ARRESTED, IT IS MUCH BETTER THAT I DON'T COMMENT ON THEIR CASES. + HE SAID.
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