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in Hong Kong. And the Urban Council which is the only official body in Hong Kong which has a number of elected members stands at the top of the list.
Many Councillors have already spoken extensively on the need for enlarging the powers and scope of the Urban Council. Generally, I subscribe to these views. It is only until to-day that I discover that Mr. Wilfred WONG and I have been in telepathic communication with each other, because I was going to suggest, and I suggest now, that in order to ensure that effective action will be taken, I would propose that this Council's Standing Committee of the Whole appoint a sub-Committee to go thoroughly into the matter. The terms of reference could well be what is stated in paragraph (25) of the Statement of Progress and Policy for 1963/64: Summary of the Council's main aims. I quote from paragraph (25)—“To make recommendations to Government that there should be a gradual enlargement of the Council's scope and for its representation on various other public bodies." This I suggest could well be the terms of reference of the sub-Committee or ad hoc committee as mentioned by Mr. Wilfred WONG.
Deportation
Speaking as an elected member, Mr. Chairman, I wish to raise the subject of deportation of Chinese residents from Hong Kong. It is well-known that there is nothing that the ordinary Chinese resident fear most in Hong Kong than to be deported. He dreads the day when mistakenly or otherwise he may be tapped on the shoulder or taken from his home or the home of a friend to such-and-such a place for official interrogation and detainment.
If he is a decent law-abiding resident, he has a good chance of being released, sometimes immediately, sometimes after several weeks. In this connexion, I would suggest that Government improve its procedure whereby a detainee must be interrogated in the presence of a judicial officer within 48 hours of arrest. And if a detainee so requests, his immediate relatives should be notified of his detainment immediately after interrogation. I have much confidence in the integrity of our Police Force, Mr. Chairman, but I have an even greater respect for civil liberties and due processes of the law.
Speaking on the subject of civil liberties, I would like to disclose a secret to you, Mr. Chairman, and to my fellow Councillors. Just recently I received a letter of congratulation from a certain high official complimenting me on having a certain superb hotel named in my honour (Laughter). Could I be blamed, Mr. Chairman, if I did not remind Mr. SALES that he ought to follow up his suggestion made in the Council more thoroughly and to give my support with my tongue in my cheek.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
There is one additional aspect which I would like to raise in regard to the deportation of Chinese residents, Mr. Chairman, and that is I would like to remind Councillors that because more than half of our Chinese population, from a technical point of view, are aliens of permanent Hong Kong domicile, I think it would be more reasonable and humane if the deportation regulations were to be amended to allow a so-called Chinese alien who has been permanently living here with his family for at least 15 years to choose, if he so wishes, detainment in Hong Kong instead of deportation, until such time as he can be tried in a proper court of law or his release can be tolerated. I would request, Mr. Chairman, that these views be brought to the attention of Government for its consideration.
Resettlement and Low cost Housing
For several years already, I have been urging Government to expedite the resettlement programme to reach a target of 100,000 persons per year. With due respect to my colleague, Mr. Cheung Wing-In, I must observe with regret that again Government has fallen short of the target by 8,000 during the past twelve months.
So I have come to the conclusion that the only way how to get Government to resettle more than 100,000 persons commencing next year is to propose an annual target of 125,000. Therefore, Mr. Chairman, I would urge that the Public Works and Resettlement Departments seriously explore the feasibility of stepping up the resettlement programme to 125,000 persons per year over the next four years, and not five years.
From the Financial Secretary's statement made in Legislative Council last Friday, it is now clear that Government has at long last bestirred itself to organize a scheme for financing home ownership for Hong Kong's middle-income group. If and when a Committee is formed to go into the problem, I suggest that both the Urban Council and the Housing Authority should seek to have their representatives in that Committee.
Traffic
On the subject of Traffic, Mr. Chairman, I shall confine myself during this debate to only one suggestion: that the Police in their own interest and the public interest hand over the management of parking meters to the Urban Council.
Members are aware that parking meters are referred to in the Chinese press as the "coin-eating tigers". I have been receiving complaints from motorists that on occasion these "tigers" refuse to eat the coins, causing the feeders no end of frustration. And so a telephone call has to be made to the nearest police station and a Police representative called out to pry open the "tiger's" hungry mouth once again.
Page 58 of 194
Page 59 of 194
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Page 37 of 194
I
58
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
in Hong Kong. And the Urban Council which is the only official body in Hong Kong which has a number of elected members stands at the top of the list.
Many Councillors have already spoken extensively on the need for enlarging the powers and scope of the Urban Council. Generally, I subscribe to these views. It is only until to-day that I discover that Mr. Wilfred WONG and I have been in telepathic communication with each other, because I was going to suggest, and I suggest now, that in order to ensure that effective action will be taken, I would propose that this Council's Standing Committee of the Whole appoint a sub-Commit- tee to go thoroughly into the matter. The terms of reference could well be what is stated in paragraph (25) of the Statement of Progress and Policy for 1963/64: Summary of the Council's main aims. I quote from paragraph (25)—“To make recommendations to Government that there should be a gradual enlargement of the Council's scope and for its representation on various other public bodies." This I suggest could well be the terms of reference of the sub-Committee or ad hoc com- mittee as mentioned by Mr. Wilfred WONG.
Deportation
Speaking as an elected member, Mr. Chairman, I wish to raise the subject of deportation of Chinese residents from Hong Kong. It is well-known that there is nothing that the ordinary Chinese resident fear most in Hong Kong than to be deported. He dreads the day when mistakenly or otherwise he may be tapped on the shoulder or taken from his home or the home of a friend to such-and-such a place for official interrogation and detainment.
If he is a decent law-abiding resident, he has a good chance of being released, sometimes immediately, sometimes after several weeks. In this connexion, I would suggest that Government improve its procedure whereby a detainee must be interrogated in the presence of a judicial officer within 48 hours of arrest. And if a detainee so requests, his immediate relatives should be notified of his detainment immediately after interrogation. I have much confidence in the integrity of our Police Force, Mr. Chairman, but I have an even greater respect for civil liberties and due processes of the law.
Speaking on the subject of civil liberties, I would like to disclose a secret to you, Mr. Chairman, and to my fellow Councillors. Just recently I received a letter of congratulation from a certain high official complimenting me on having a certain superb hotel named in my honour (Laughter). Could I be blamed, Mr. Chairman, if I did not remind Mr. SALES that he ought to follow up his suggestion made in the Council more thoroughly and to give my support with my tongue in my cheek.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
59
There is one additional aspect which I would like to raise in regard to the deportation of Chinese residents, Mr. Chairman, and that is I would like to remind Councillors that because more than half of our Chinese population, from a technical point of view, are aliens of permanent Hong Kong domicile, I think it would be more reasonable and humane if the deportation regulations were to be amended to allow a so-called Chinese alien who has been permanently living here with his family for at least 15 years to choose, if he so wishes, detainment in Hong Kong instead of deportation, until such time as he can be tried in a proper court of law or his release can be tolerated. I would request, Mr. Chairman, that these views be brought to the attention of Government for its consideration.
Resettlement and Low cost Housing
For several years already, I have been urging Government to expedite the resettlement programme to reach a target of 100,000 persons per year. With due respect to my colleague, Mr. Cheung Wing-In, I must observe with regret that again Government has fallen short of the target by 8,000 during the past twelve months.
So I have come to the conclusion that the only way how to get Government to resettle more than 100,000 persons commencing next year is to propose an annual target of 125,000. Therefore, Mr. Chair- man, I would urge that the Public Works and Resettlement Departments seriously explore the feasibility of stepping up the resettlement pro- gramme to 125,000 persons per year over the next four years, and not five years.
From the Financial Secretary's statement made in Legislative Council last Friday, it is now clear that Government has at long last bestirred itself to organize a scheme for financing home ownership for Hong Kong's middle-income group. If and when a Committee is formed to go into the problem, I suggest that both the Urban Council and the Housing Authority should seek to have their representatives in that Committee.
Traffic
On the subject of Traffic, Mr. Chairman, I shall confine myself during this debate to only one suggestion: that the Police in their own interest and the public interest hand over the management of parking meters to the Urban Council.
Members are aware that parking meters are referred to in the Chinese press as the "coin-eating tigers". I have been receiving com- plaints from motorists that on occasion these "tigers" refuse to eat the coins, causing the feeders no end of frustration. And so a telephone call has to be made to the nearest police station and a Police representa- tive called out to pry open the "tiger's" hungry mouth once again.
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