XN000022-1980-05-19 — Page 8

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MONDAY, MAY 19, 1980

PWD ENGINEER HAD SURPRISE RETIREMENT GIFT

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MR WONG MANG-KI, PRINCIPAL GOVERNMENT CIVIL ENGINEER, WHO IS RETIRING AFTER SERVING OVER 27 YEARS WITH THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, HAD A PLEASANT SURPRISE TODAY.

THE SURPRISE CAME AT A FAREWELL CEREMONY DURING WHICH MR DAVID MCDONALD, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, PRESENTED HIM WITH A BOTTLE OF MOU TEI, A FAMOUS CHINESE WINE, ON BEHALF OF TWO CHINESE ENGINEERS WHOM HE MET IN CHINA IN 1972.

MR WONG WAS ACCOMPANYING THE THEN DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, MR J.J. ROBSON, ON A WATERWORKS MISSION AIMED AT SECURING MORE WATER SUPPLIES FROM THE MAINLAND.

THE BOTTLE WAS BROUGHT BACK BY THE HONG KONG DELEGATION WHICH RETURNED FROM GUANGZHOU LAST WEEK AFTER THE SIGNING OF THE LATEST WATER AGREEMENT.

ADDRESSING THE GATHERING AT THE CEREMONY, MR MCDONALD SAID THAT MR WONG, KNOWN TO HIS COLLEAGUES AS M.K., WAS THE FIRST LOCAL OFFICER TO RETIRE WITH THE RANK OF PRINCIPAL GOVERNMENT ENGINEER.

HE RECALLED THAT AFTER BRIEF EXPERIENCE WITH PRIVATE FIRMS, M.K. JOINED THE PWD IN JANUARY 1953 AS A TEMPORARY ASSISTANT ENGINEERING SURVEYOR CLASS 11 AND WAS POSTED TO THE THEN ROADS OFFICE.

+HE HAD, HOWEVER, NO INTENTION OF REMAINING AN ENGINEERING SURVEYOR AND WITHIN A FEW MONTHS HE BECAME AN APPRENTICE ENGINEER, MR MCDONALD SAID.

+IN 1955, HAVING PASSED PART 1 OF THE 1.C.E. EXAMINATIONS, HE WAS PROMOTED TO ASSISTANT ENGINEER AND TRANSFERRED TO PORT WORKS OFFICE, ALTHOUGH STILL ON A TEMPORARY BASIS.

+ELECTED TO ASSOCIATE MEMBERSHIP OF THE 1.C.E. IN JANUARY 1958, HE WAS PROMOTED TO ENGINEER IN JUNE OF THAT YEAR AND TRANSFERRED TO THE PENSIONABLE ESTABLISHMENT.+

IN 1962, HE LEFT HONG KONG ON A ONE-YEAR ATTACHMENT TO

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A LEADING CIVIL ENGINEERING CONTRACTOR IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. THIS, HOWEVER, DID NOT PROVE VERY SATISFACTORY AS FAR AS EXPERIENCE WAS CONCERNED, SO HE WAS TRANSFERRED TO A CONSULTANT'S FIRM IN LONDON FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR, DURING WHICH TIME HE OBTAINED EXPERIENCE OF ENGINEERING WORKS IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE U.K.

HE RETURNED TO THE PORT WORKS OFFICE IN 1963 AND STAYED IN THAT OFFICE, BECOMING A SENIOR ENGINEER, UNTIL TRANSFERRED TO THE POST OF CHIEF ENGINEER, ROADS AND DRAINS, IN 1969.

+IN 1971 HE WAS APPOINTED TO A UNITED NATIONS FELLOWSHIP TO ATTEND A SPECIAL COURSE ON PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AT THE U.N. ASIAN INSTITUTE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND PLANNING IN BANGKOK. SINCE THEN HE HAS ATTENDED OTHER OFFICIAL SEMINARS, MR MCDONALD SAID,

/+HAVING ACTED