XN000022-1985-11-28 — Page 22

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1985

+SECONDLY, WITHOUT SOLID AND PRACTICABLE CONTENTS TO SUBSTANTIATE THE SO-CALLED SPIRIT WILL BE OUT OF THE CONTEXT OF REALITY, HE SAID.

IF THE CONTENTS OF THE GREEN PAPER WERE NOT REASONABLE, NOTWITHSTANDING THAT THE WHOLE POPULATION MIGHT SUPPORT THE SPIRIT, THE GREEN PAPER WAS NOTHING BUT A SCRAP OF WASTE PAPER, HE SAID.

LOOKING BACK ON THE CURRENT SITUATION, DR LAI SAID HE HAD COME TO THREE CONCLUSIONS.

FIRSTLY. HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT WAS REGRESSING IN ITS POLICY ON SUBSIDISING PUBLIC HOUSING, WHICH WAS HIGHLY CONTRARY TO THE 10-YEAR HOUSING PLAN PROPOSED IN 1973. HE URGED THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO MAKE PUBLIC ITS REAL INTENTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

SECONDLY, HE SAID IT WAS INACCURATE FOR THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO SAY THAT PUBLIC HOUSING TENANTS WERE ENJOYING HEAVY GOVERNMENT SUBSIDIES.

HE SAID IF WE RECOGNISED THAT PUBLIC HOUSING WAS PART OF OUR COMMUNITY WELFARE AS A WHOLE AND THAT EVERYBODY HAD A SHARE IN IT, THEN IT WAS AGAINST THE FAIR PRINCIPLE OF DISTRIBUTION AND REDISTRIBUTION OF RESOURCES IN A CAPITAL IST SOCIETY TO SHIFT THE FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN THIS RESPECT ONTO PUBLIC HOUSING OR THE +WELL-OFF+ TENANTS.

LASTLY, HE SAID JUDGING FROM THE ARGUMENTS BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PUBLIC OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS. THERE WAS A SERIOUS LACK OF COMMUNICATION AND TRUST BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE OVER THE POLICY ON PUBLIC HOUSING.

HE SUGGESTED THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD TAKE EARLY STEPS TO ALLOW MORE PUBLIC HOUSING TENANTS TO TAKE PART IN THE POLICY-MAKING OF THE HOUSING AUTHORITY.

HE ALSO URGED THE HOUSING AUTHORITY TO MAKE PUBLIC ITS ADMINISTRATIVE RECORDS, FOR EXAMPLE, ITS ALLOCATION OF FINANCIAL RESOURCES AND ITS METHOD OF ACCOUNTING, SO THAT THE PUBLIC COULD SEE WHETHER THERE WERE ANY UNREASONABLE ELEMENTS.

HE THEN APPEALED TO ALL THOSE WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE GREEN PAPER TO REVIEW SERIOUSLY WHETHER THERE WAS ANY EMOTIONAL CONTENT OR PREJUDICE IN THE IR ARGUMENTS.

WITH REGARD TO THE REDEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC HOUSING DUE TO STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS, DR LAI SAID, THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD APPOINT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AN INDEPENDENT BODY TO FIND OUT WHAT HAD BEEN COVERED UP, TO INVESTIGATE AND APPORTION RESPONSIBILITY AND TO EXPLAIN THE WHOLE THING TO THE PUBLIC.

/+OTHERWISE THE