(2) To these immigrants, Hong Kong Government is very much an alien Government, made rather mysterious and unapproachable by its complicated structure and a formidable language barrier. In the view of many of them, it is futile and unwise, and perhaps even dangerous, to challenge or query it. They may be very prone to grumble about it among themselves, but they are rather scared to take issue with it direct. Instead, they rather prefer the indirect approach, through some middleman, to take care of their problems. This attitude has probably changed quite significantly since 1967, in that even these people have, in the past few years, become more vocal and openly critical. However, this apathetic attitude still remains, particularly among the older, uneducated immigrant groups.
(3) Hong Kong in its unique development after the war has achieved a great deal. At the same time, many problems of considerable magnitude and complexity have been created by over- crowding and the shortage of necessary facilities resulting from the influx of refugees. Many people have had to put up with sub-standard conditions. Often the standard minimum require- ments for operating a business legally cannot be met. They just try to do the best they can to eke out a livelihood. Illegalities of all sorts have become common-illegal hawking, illegal factories, illegal restaurants, illegal catering (particularly those serving lunches to office workers), illegal taxis (Pak Pai Che), etc. are trying to survive against current control legislation. Often such legislation has not been effectively enforced for various reasons. Control manpower may be inadequate. Such illegal services may have become essential in meeting some public need in the absence or shortage of legitimate alternatives. Government itself may feel inhibited by the thought of breaking too many rice bowls by seeking to eliminate them, particularly before some legitimate alternative can be provided. This kind of unsatisfactory situation breeds corruption. Illegal operators are only too willing to pay squeeze to avoid prosecution. Of course they do not wish to pay 'black money' if they can help it, but, given the choice, they would much rather pay than lose their livelihood. In making any general assumption that the public wish to pressurize Government to eliminate corruption, we should not lose sight of these important sectors whose vested interests make them dread the thought of a clean and effective Government which will force them to the wall. Without a comprehensive survey, it is impossible to estimate the total number of people (and their families) who are surviving by sufferance of non-enforcement, but it must be a very significant number—including some operating in politically highly sensitive sectors. They may grumble among themselves against Government for the squeeze they have to pay and they will never admit that they condone or connive in corrupt practices, but, in their heart of hearts, they probably pray to be allowed to continue to pay for non-enforcement, since it gives them a de facto licence, even though not a de jure one. This is the sort of unholy but realistic compromise which gives them breathing space for survival.
(4) In Hong Kong, economic pressures on the time factor are considerable. Getting something completed a month earlier may mean a gain of hundreds of thousands of dollars, or even more. Failure to get some procedure processed in Government in time may result in very heavy financial loss. Hong Kong people are quite prepared to buy time. Bribing someone to do something out of turn is in their view like a commercial deal of paying extra for speedy service. No matter how strongly our prominent businessmen often condemn corruption in public, some of them are not too scrupulous about practising corruption themselves when big business deals are at stake. (5) Hong Kong's problem of people has produced long queues in many places: waiting for low cost housing accommodation, secondary school places, particularly in well established schools, etc. There is a strong temptation to get in by black market methods. Looking at our Government services objectively, we can be thankful that many of our application procedures are reasonably well controlled and insulated against corruption possibilities. But we must be on our guard that even normally law abiding people are sometimes prepared to offer bribes for something they need badly.
(6) It is difficult to determine to what extent corruption actually exists where rumours are widespread. Some shrewd people outside Government exploit the gullibility and ignorance of the public to obtain money by false pretences, claiming that they can "fix it", even promising to refund if they fail. It may well be something that they know the applicant is entitled to any way. The payment is happily made and the payer sometimes even introduces the middleman to relatives and friends. Government's image is thereby tarnished unfairly.
(7) Sometimes junior civil servants in extorting squeeze tell the payer that it has to be shared upwards with his superior officers. This statement thus enables him to ask for somewhat larger sums and at the same time warns the payer that it is futile to report it to the authorities because his senior
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