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Wednesday, February 13, 1974
However, although recruitment was urgent, it was necessary
to select carefully new staff whose integrity would be beyond suspicion.
The Hon. Hilton Cheong-Leen also spoke in support of the noW
independent Commission and its work.
He did not agree with the often repeated view that corruption
had always been a way of life with the Chinese.
"Corruption is not an exclusive characteristic of the Chinese; it is just part of human nature whether in Hong Kong or in any other major city in Asia or elsewhere," he said.
He noted that unlike some other places, people in Hong Kong could speak openly about corruption and heartily criticise the government on corruption without the risk of being deported or put in jail.
He emphasised however that top secrecy should be preserved and complainants and informants given every protection against exposure and victimization, if the Commission was to get active public co-operation. To maintain people's confidence in the Commission, he said, it was also necessary to take maximum precautions to disallow those who were or who had been with the Commission to criminally make use of any information they had access to.
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