XN000022-1985-06-02 — Page 16

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SUNDAY, JUNE 2, 1985

OTHER COMPLAINTS MIGHT DEAL WITH SEWAGE LEAKS, DIFFICULT OF IMPOSSIBLE ROAD CROSSINGS, THICK BUSHES BY A PATH WHERE SOMEONE FEARS ROBBERS MAY LURK, OR ANY OF A THOUSAND AND ONE ANNOYANCES THAT MAY CROP UP.

EVEN THE ONES THAT DO NOT COME WITHIN THE AMBIT OF THE LANDS AND WORKS GROUP OF DEPARTMENTS, MIKE DEALS WITH AND FINDS AN ANSWER TO, EVEN IF THAT ANSWER MAY NOT ALWAYS BE TO THE SATISFACTION OF THE COMPLAINANT.

THAT IS WHY MIKE, ON ANY MORNING CAN BE SEEN MONITORING BOTH ENGLISH LANGUAGE RADIO PHONE-IN PROGRAMMES, GOING THROUGH THE PAPERS FOR COMPLAINTS, ANSWERING THE PHONE AND AT THE SAME TIME READING TRANSLATIONS OF COMPLAINTS ON THE CHINESE RADIO PROGRAMMES AND FROM CHINESE NEWSPAPERS.

MIKE, WHO HAS BEEN IN HONG KONG FOR SEVEN YEARS, SAID HE GAVE UP HIS PRIVATE PRACTICE AS A SURVEYOR IN KALGOORLIE, WEST AUSTRALIA, AND CAME TO HONG KONG BECAUSE HE WANTED TO DÓ SOMETHING DIFFERENT+. CERTAINLY THE PAST FOUR YEARS HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT AND VERY DEMANDING.

AFTER A MONTH'S LEAVE MIKE WILL TAKE UP A NEW JOB AS TECHNICAL SECRETARY WITH LANDS AND WORKS.

MIKE IS OBVIOUSLY A GOOD LISTENER BECAUSE BEING ABLE TO LISTEN IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS OF THE COMPLAINTS OFFICER'S JOB. AT LEAST THAT IS THE OPINION OF ENGINEER MR ANDREW CHEE SUNG TONG, AND HE SHOULD KNOW BECAUSE HE IS TAKING OVER FROM MIKE AS COMPLAINTS OFFICER.

A HONG KONG-BORN ENGINEER, WHO HAS SPENT MUCH OF HIS CAREER IN BRITAIN AND CANADA, ANDREW HAS OFTEN ACTED AS STAND-IN WHEN MIKE HAS BEEN ON LEAVE,

+THE JOB CALLS FOR A GREAT DEAL OF RESILIENCE, + SAID ANDREW. +YOU HAVE TO REALISE THAT BY THE TIME MOST PEOPLE RING UP TO COMPLAIN THEY ARE OFTEN QUITE UPSET AND YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO LISTEN SYMPATHETICALLY, IF YOU CAN'T, IT'S HOPELESS.+

HONG KONG KEEPS ON GROWING AND GROWTH MEANS GROWING PAINS SO IT IS CERTAIN THE COMPLAINTS WILL KEEP COMING IN. IT IS JUST AS CERTAIN THEY WILL BE HEARD SYMPATHETICALLY AND DEALT WITH AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

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