XN000022-1976-01-25 — Page 4

SUNDAY, JANUARY 25, 1976

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RAPID GROWTH OF MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES IN TSUEN WAN

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CLOSE TO ONE IN SIX OF TSUEN WAN'S POPULATION NOW LIVES IN A BUILDING WHICH HAS A MUTUAL AID COMMITTEE OR A MULTI-STOREY BUILDING OWNERS' INCORPORATION. AND THE RATIO SHOULD BE ONE IN THREE BY THE END OF THIS YEAR.

THE TOWN, WHOSE 450,000 POPULATION IS EXPECTED TO MORE THAN DOUBLE BY 1995, HAS A TOTAL OF 107 MUTUAL AID COMMITTEES AT PRESENT, WITH TEN MORE EXPECTED TO BE FORMED BY THE END OF MARCH. THERE ARE 18 OWNERS' INCORPORATIONS.

THE FORMATION OF MACS BEGAN IN JULY 1973 AND WITHIN EIGHT MONTHS 48 HAD BEEN SET UP. BY MARCH 1975 THE NUMBER HAD RISEN TO 67 AND ANOTHER 40 HAVE BEEN ADDED SINCE. ALTOGETHER 75,000 PEOPLE LIVING IN 15,000 HOMES ARE NOW COVERED DY, AU MAC.

MR. CHOW KIN-MING, A TSUEN WAN DISTRICT OFFICE LIAISON OFFICER WITH RESPONSIBILITIES FOR SETTING UP AND MAINTAINING CONTACTS WITH MACS, DAYS IT IS HOPED TO DOUBLE THE NUMBER OF MAGS BY THIS TIME NEXT YEAR. WE ARE MAKING SUCH GOOD PROGRESS, + HE DECLARED, THAT IT HAS BEEN NECESSARY TO TAKE ON MORE STAFF.+ UNDER MR. CHOW ARE EIGHT COMMUNITY ORGANISERS, THREE OF WHOM WERE RECRUITED ONLY THIS WEEK.

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MR. CHOW STRESSED THAT VERY CLOSE CONTACT IS MAINTAINED WITH AN MAC AFTER IT HAS BEEN FORMED. WELL ATTENDED MEETINGS, AT WHICH TALKS HAVE DEEN GIVEN BY OFFICERS OF THE POLICE FORCE, THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION, THE URLAN SERVICES DEPARTMENT, AND THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTIENT, ARE HELD MONTHLY.

WE DISCUSS MANY DIFFERENT TOPICS, INCLUDING LAW AND ORDER, CLEANLINESS AND FIRE PREVENTION,+ SAID DR. CHOW. HE SAID OCCUPANTS OF BUILDINGS ARE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE UP PROBLEMS WITH MAC HENDERS.

HOST OF THE MACS HAVE BEEN FORMED IN PRIVATE HOUSING BLOCKS IUT EFFORTS IN THE FUTURE ARE GOING TO LE CONCENTRATED ON PUBLIC HOUSING ESTATES SUCH AS SHEK LEI, TAI WOR HAU AND LET HUR SKUE.

MUK

APART FROM MEETINGS EVERY KOUTH, OTHER ACTIVITIES SUCH AS PICNICS ARE ARRANGED, TO FOSTER A WIDER SPIRIT OF CO-OPERATION. A NUMBER OF KAC MEMBERS PARTICIPATED IN THE RECENT NEW TERRITORIES WALK FOR A MILLION'' AND OTHERS SPONSORED ENTRANTS.

MR. CHOW SAID RESISTANCE TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF MACS WAS OCCASIONALLY MET FROM PEOPLE WHO FELT THEY PREFERRED TO PROVIDE THE IR OWN SECURITY, BUT SUCH CASES WERE IN THE MINORITY.

+ IN MANY BUILDINGS, BEFORE AN MAC WAS FORMED, FAMILIES SEEMED VIRTUALLY UNAWARE THAT OTHER FAMILIES EXISTED,+ MR. CHOW REMARKED. HOWEVER, IT IS SURPRISING THE WAY PEOPLE SOON COME TOGETHER AND APPEAR ANXIOUS TO HELP WITH EACH OTHER'S PROBLEMS ONCE AN MAC HAD BEEN ORGANISED,+ HE SAID THAT A NUMBER OF RESIDENTS HAD TOLD HIM THAT SINCE AN MAC HAD BEEN SET UP IN THEIR BUILDING SECURITY HAD IMPROVED CONSIDERABLY.

MR. CHOW HAS ALSO BEEN INVOLVED, TOGETHER WITH THE POLICE,

+ IN ORGANISING NEIGHBOURHOOD SECURITY PATROLS IN THE KWAI SHING AND K.AI HING ESTATES. A FIVE-EVENING COURSE WAS ORGANISED RECENTLY BY THE DISTRICT OFFICE, TSUEN WAN, AND LOCAL POLICE AND WAS ATTENDED EY 72 MAC MEMBERS.

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