TNAG-2669-FCO40-3866-Hong-Kong-Civil-Service-1993 — Page 127

Pu

IKA 06/1

UNCLASSIFIED

150543

MDHIAN 1761

TOP COPY Q DIST/?

HKA 016/1

2 AUG 1993

UNCLASSIFIED

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 1317

OF 12110OZ AUGUST 93

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

די

LOCALISATION POLICY: LEGCO REACTIONS AND OTHER COMMENTS, 11 AUGUST.

1.

THE LEGCO PUBLIC SERVICE PANEL HELD A SPECIAL MEETING YESTERDAY TO DISCUSS THE NEW POLICY OF ALLOWING OVERSEAS CIVIL SERVANTS TO SWITCH TO LOCAL TERMS. NEGATIVE REACTIONS FROM PANEL

MEMBERS.

2.

CHEUNG MAN-KOWNG OF UDHK SUGGESTED SHELVING THE NEW POLICY FOR THREE TO SIX MONTHS, DURING WHICH THE LOCAL AND OVERSEAS CIVIL SERVANTS, THE CHINESE SIDE AND THE LEGCO SHOULD BE CONSULTED. QUOTING COMMENTS BY A SENIOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL MADE AT A PREVIOUS LEGCO SUB-COMMITTEE MEETING, ALLEN LEE OF THE LIBERAL PARTY SAID THE GOVERNMENT HAD NOT HONOURED ITS OWN WORDS. SELINA CHOW OF THE SAME PARTY SAID THE NEW POLICY WAS UNFAIR TO NINETY-EIGHT PERCENT OF CIVIL SERVANTS. INDEPENDENT LEGISLATOR CHIM PUI-CHONG SAID THE NEW POLICY WOULD HURT THE MORALE OF LOCAL CIVIL SERVANTS AND AFFECT THEIR PROMOTION OPPORTUNITIES. HE SUGGESTED THE GOVERNMENT CONSIDER EMPLOYING AS 'ADVISERS', IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS IN THE BASIC LAW, THOSE OVERSEAS CIVIL SERVANTS WHO HAD SERVED IN HONG KONG FOR A LONG TIME AND HAD MADE CERTAIN CONTRIBUTIONS. THE CHAIRMAN OF THE PANEL, TAM YIU-CHUNG OF DAB, SAID THE NEW POLICY WAS IN CONFLICT WITH THE GOVERNMENT'S PREVIOUS PROMISE OF IMPLEMENTING ACTIVELY THE LOCALISATION POLICY, IT CAUSED LOCAL CIVIL SERVANTS TO LOSE CONFIDENCE IN THE GOVERNMENT AS WELL AS CONFLICTS BETWEEN LOCAL AND OVERSEAS CIVIL SERVANTS.

3.

AT THE END OF A CLOSED-DOOR MEETING, THE PANEL DECIDED TO SEEK OTHER LEGISLATORS' CONSENT IN WRITING A JOINT LETTER TO THE GOVERNOR ASKING HIM TO SHELVE THE NEW POLICY. DURING THE CLOSED- DOOR MEETING THE PANEL ALSO DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF INTRODUCING A PRIVATE MEMBER'S BILL TO STOP THE NEW POLICY. THE ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS REPORTED THAT THE PANEL HAD DECIDED TO LEAVE THAT ASPECT TO INDIVIDUAL LEGISLATORS TO LOOK INTO.

4.

IN A RELATED DEVELOPMENT, INDEPENDENT LEGISLATOR ANNE WU GAVE SUPPORT TO THE NEW POLICY. BEFORE INTRODUCING THE NEW POLICY,

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