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THURSDAY, JANUARY 10, 1985

+ IN AN AGE OF RAPID CHANGE, IF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG CAN FACE CHANGE WITH CONFIDENCE AND AN UNDAUNTED SPIRIT, PARTICIPATE ACTIVELY AND WORK HARD, HONG KONG WILL SURELY HAVE A BRIGHT FUTURE,+ SHE SAID.

MRS NG BELIEVED WITH THE EFFORTS OF THE GOVERNMENT AND THE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF THE PEOPLE, HONG KONG WOULD CONTINUE TO BECOME A SOURCE OF ADMIRATION TO OTHERS AND +THIS SMALL PIECE OF LAND WE LIVED ON WOULD CONTINUE TO ENJOY PROSPERITY AND STABILITY.+

COMMENTING ON SPECIFIC PROPOSALS IN THE WHITE PAPER, MRS NG SUGGESTED THAT WHEN CARRYING OUT THE 1987 REVIEW, THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD CONSIDER ALLOWING EACH OF THE 19 DISTRICT BOARDS TO RETURN A MEMBER TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD ALSO CONSIDER ALLOWING KWUN TONG, EAST ISLAND, WONG TAI SIN, KOWLOON CITY AND SHAM SHUI PO TO EACH RETURN TWO MEMBERS, SHE ADDED.

+ IN OTHER WORDS, THE DISTRICT BOARDS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO ELECT 24 MEMBERS TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

+SUCH AN ARRANGEMENT CAN HELP TO ELIMINATE THE UNDESIRABLE SITUATION OF UNFAIR ALLOCATION OF SEATS ACCORDING TO GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION,+ SHE SAID.

AS REGARDS THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF CIVIC EDUCATION IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT, MRS NG SAID IN DUE COURSE HONG KONG PEOPLE WOULD HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE GOALS OF THE SYSTEM AND THE WAY IT OPERATED.

+THEY MUST BE CLEAR ABOUT THE IR DUTIES AND THEIR RIGHTS.

+THOSE ELECTED TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE SHOULD REALISE THE IR RESPONSIBILITIES AS ELECTED MEMBERS.

+THE ELECTORATE MUST BE AWARE OF HOW TO GET TO KNOW, SELECT AND MONITOR THE PERFORMANCE OF THE REPRESENTATIVES THEY SUPPORT, + SHE SAID.

MRS NG COMMENDED THE GOVERNMENT FOR BRINGING FORWARD THE DATE OF THE REVIEW TO 1987 AND INCREASING THE NUMBER OF ELECTED MEMBERS TJ BE RETURNED BY THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE AND FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES FROM SIX TO 12.

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