1965 — Page 304

Urban Council Proceedings 市政局議事錄 All AI Reviewed

Page 304 of 382

586

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

However, we must not overlook the earned right of the present Chairman of the Urban Council to become Hong Kong's first official Mayor, a title which he already deserves by virtue of his outstanding ability and success in Urban Council affairs.

We in the Civic Association believe that education, medical services, and social welfare have a direct and intimate relation to the livelihood of Hong Kong people.

Dr. SUN Yat-sen, the founder of modern China, who studied and completed his medical education in Hong Kong, considered that his principle of "Min Sheng" or People's Livelihood, was the most important of his three People's Principles.

"Min Sheng" is one of SUN Yat-sen's Three People's Principles of Nationalism, Democracy, and Livelihood which have a close affinity to Abraham Lincoln's "Government of the people, for the people, and by the people."

We in the Civic Association are not concerned with making Hong Kong an independent country or too much concerned with having elected members to the Legislative Council or the Executive Council.

We are more concerned with seeing that the poor and the underprivileged, the white-collar and the middle-income groups—in other words, the common people—are able to enjoy their unalienable right to a rising standard of living, better housing, free schooling for their children, low-cost medical services, and all the amenities that are taken for granted in any modern democratic and industrialized community.

We are concerned that there are tens of thousands of Hong Kong-born children in our resettlement estates who are not going to school, for no other reason than that these unfortunate children must stay home to look after their younger brothers and sisters, or to eke out a pittance out of handicraft work. In our resettlement estates alone, there are over 6,000 vacant primary school places.

We are concerned that restaurants are permitted by Government to employ young children to work from 6 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. as toilet attendants 7 days a week, simply because these children can be paid only half what an adult has to be paid.

We are concerned that shop workers have to work a 7-day week, quite often for 10-14 hours a day, and that there is no legislation requiring employers to allow them one day off a week.

We are concerned that medical facilities and ambulance services are still seriously inadequate. I have heard so many poor families saying that illness in the family, especially of the bread-winner, is always a spectre to be dreaded because of inadequate medical facilities for the population.

Page 305 of 382

587

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

We are concerned about Hong Kong's younger generation because there are 2 million young people who are under the age of 21 in Hong Kong.

How can this democratic way of life be safeguarded for the future when tens of thousands of our children are being denied the simple right even to a primary education?

How can the world's oldest Parliament governing the most democratic country in the world be said to be fulfilling its Colonial responsibility when it permits children to grow in squalor and ignorance and without any education whatsoever in a place which is reputed to be the most glamorous and richest Colony in the world?

How can this great mother of Parliaments be said to be upholding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to which it is a signatory, when it evades its responsibility to see that every Hong Kong-born child should have at least a primary education?

Are we doing enough to educate our young people so that they can stand on their own feet and become responsible citizens when they reach adulthood?

Can the Hong Kong Government convincingly say that it is doing its utmost when there are over 6,000 vacant primary school places in our resettlement estates, even though there may be several tens of thousands of children of school age being kept away from school?

What is the cause of the rising rate of juvenile delinquency? Can it be ascribed solely to the fact that Hong Kong is becoming more industrialized, more congested, and more competitive?

Or can it be said that the main responsibility is that of the Government which is not providing enough vocational training and recreational facilities for our younger generation?

These are the practical and real problems which face the people of Hong Kong. The Civic Association firmly believes that since the Urban Council is the only body with elected members, this Council should be given the responsibility of managing the Education, Medical and Health, and Social Welfare Departments.

With these Departments under the Urban Council, the elected and the appointed Unofficial members will exert their utmost energies to fight for better social services for the people of Hong Kong.

Page 306 of 382

Edit History

2026-05-13 22:05:04 · NVIDIA / meta/llama-4-maverick-17b-128e-instruct

Live

View comparison

AI Proofread

Page 304 of 382 586 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL However, we must not overlook the earned right of the present Chairman of the Urban Council to become Hong Kong's first official Mayor, a title which he already deserves by virtue of his outstanding ability and success in Urban Council affairs. We in the Civic Association believe that education, medical services, and social welfare have a direct and intimate relation to the livelihood of Hong Kong people. Dr. SUN Yat-sen, the founder of modern China, who studied and completed his medical education in Hong Kong, considered that his principle of "Min Sheng" or People's Livelihood, was the most important of his three People's Principles. "Min Sheng" is one of SUN Yat-sen's Three People's Principles of Nationalism, Democracy, and Livelihood which have a close affinity to Abraham Lincoln's "Government of the people, for the people, and by the people." We in the Civic Association are not concerned with making Hong Kong an independent country or too much concerned with having elected members to the Legislative Council or the Executive Council. We are more concerned with seeing that the poor and the underprivileged, the white-collar and the middle-income groups—in other words, the common people—are able to enjoy their unalienable right to a rising standard of living, better housing, free schooling for their children, low-cost medical services, and all the amenities that are taken for granted in any modern democratic and industrialized community. We are concerned that there are tens of thousands of Hong Kong-born children in our resettlement estates who are not going to school, for no other reason than that these unfortunate children must stay home to look after their younger brothers and sisters, or to eke out a pittance out of handicraft work. In our resettlement estates alone, there are over 6,000 vacant primary school places. We are concerned that restaurants are permitted by Government to employ young children to work from 6 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. as toilet attendants 7 days a week, simply because these children can be paid only half what an adult has to be paid. We are concerned that shop workers have to work a 7-day week, quite often for 10-14 hours a day, and that there is no legislation requiring employers to allow them one day off a week. We are concerned that medical facilities and ambulance services are still seriously inadequate. I have heard so many poor families saying that illness in the family, especially of the bread-winner, is always a spectre to be dreaded because of inadequate medical facilities for the population. Page 305 of 382 587 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL We are concerned about Hong Kong's younger generation because there are 2 million young people who are under the age of 21 in Hong Kong. How can this democratic way of life be safeguarded for the future when tens of thousands of our children are being denied the simple right even to a primary education? How can the world's oldest Parliament governing the most democratic country in the world be said to be fulfilling its Colonial responsibility when it permits children to grow in squalor and ignorance and without any education whatsoever in a place which is reputed to be the most glamorous and richest Colony in the world? How can this great mother of Parliaments be said to be upholding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to which it is a signatory, when it evades its responsibility to see that every Hong Kong-born child should have at least a primary education? Are we doing enough to educate our young people so that they can stand on their own feet and become responsible citizens when they reach adulthood? Can the Hong Kong Government convincingly say that it is doing its utmost when there are over 6,000 vacant primary school places in our resettlement estates, even though there may be several tens of thousands of children of school age being kept away from school? What is the cause of the rising rate of juvenile delinquency? Can it be ascribed solely to the fact that Hong Kong is becoming more industrialized, more congested, and more competitive? Or can it be said that the main responsibility is that of the Government which is not providing enough vocational training and recreational facilities for our younger generation? These are the practical and real problems which face the people of Hong Kong. The Civic Association firmly believes that since the Urban Council is the only body with elected members, this Council should be given the responsibility of managing the Education, Medical and Health, and Social Welfare Departments. With these Departments under the Urban Council, the elected and the appointed Unofficial members will exert their utmost energies to fight for better social services for the people of Hong Kong. Page 306 of 382

Baseline (Original)

Page 304 of 382 586 HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL However, we must not overlook the earned right of the present Chairman of the Urban Council to become Hong Kong's first official Mayor, a title which he already deserves by virtue of his outstanding ability and success in Urban Council affairs. We in the Civic Association believe that education, medical services, and social welfare have a direct and intimate relation to the livelihood of Hong Kong people. Dr. SUN Yat-sen, the founder of modern China, who studied and completed his medical education in Hong Kong, considered that his principle of "Man Sang" or People's Livelihood, was the most important of his three People's Principles. "Man Sang" is one of SUN Yat-sen's Three People's Principles of Nationalism, Democracy and Livelihood which have a close affinity to Abraham Lincoln's "Government of the people, for the people, and by the people." We in the Civic Association are not concerned with making Hong Kong an independent country or too much concerned in having elected members to the Legislative Council or the Executive Council. We are more concerned in seeing that the poor and the underpri- vileged, the white-collar and the middle income groups—in other words, the common people are able to enjoy their unalienable right to a rising standard of living, better housing, free schooling for their children, low cost medical services and all the amenities that are taken for granted in any modern democratic and industrialized community. We are concerned that there are tens of thousands of Hong Kong- born children in our resettlement estates who are not going to school, for no other reason than that these unfortunate children must stay home to look after their younger brothers and sisters, or to eke out a pittance out of handicraft work. In our resettlement estates alone there are over 6,000 vacant primary school places. We are concerned that restaurants are permitted by Government to employ young children to work from 6 p.m. to 2.30 a.m. as toilet attend- ants 7 days a week, simply because these children can be paid only half what an adult has to be paid. We are concerned that shop fokis have to work a 7-day week, quite often for 10-14 hours a day and that there is no legislation requiring employers to allow them one day off a week. We are concerned that medical facilities and ambulance services are still seriously inadequate. I have heard so many poor families saying that illness in the family, especially of the bread-winner, is always a HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL 587 spectre to be dreaded because of inadequate medical facilities for the population. We are concerned about Hong Kong's younger generation, because there are 2 million young people who are under the age of 21 in Hong Kong. How can this democratic way of life be safeguarded for the future when tens of thousands of our children are being denied the simple right even to a primary education? How can the world's oldest Parliament governing the most demo- cratic country in the world be said to be fulfilling its Colonial respon- sibility when it permits children to grow in squalor and ignorance and without any education whatsoever in a place which is reputed to be the most glamorous and richest Colony in the world? How can this great mother of Parliaments be said to be upholding the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to which it is a signatory, when it evades its responsibility to see that every Hong Kong-born child should have at least a primary education? Are we doing enough to educate our young people so that they can stand on their own feet and become responsible citizens when they reach adulthood? Can the Hong Kong Government convincingly say that it is doing its utmost when there are over 6,000 vacant primary school places in our resettlement estates, even though there may be several tens of thou- sands of children of school age being kept away from school? What is the cause of the rising rate of juvenile delinquency? Can it be ascribed solely to the fact that Hong Kong is becoming more in- dustrialized, more congested, and more competitive? Or can it be said that the main responsibility is that of the Govern- ment which is not providing enough vocational training and recreational facilities for our younger generation? These are the practical and real problems which face the people of Hong Kong. The Civic Association firmly believe that since the Urban Council is the only body with elected members, this Council should be given the responsibility of managing the Education, Medical and Health, and Social Welfare Departments. With these Departments under the Urban Council, the elected and the appointed Unofficial members will exert their utmost energies to fight for better social services for the people of Hong Kong.

2026-05-13 22:05:04 · Baseline

View content

Page 304 of 382

586

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

We in the Civic Association believe that education, medical services, and social welfare have a direct and intimate relation to the livelihood of Hong Kong people.

Dr. SUN Yat-sen, the founder of modern China, who studied and completed his medical education in Hong Kong, considered that his principle of "Man Sang" or People's Livelihood, was the most important of his three People's Principles.

"Man Sang" is one of SUN Yat-sen's Three People's Principles of Nationalism, Democracy and Livelihood which have a close affinity to Abraham Lincoln's "Government of the people, for the people, and by the people."

We in the Civic Association are not concerned with making Hong Kong an independent country or too much concerned in having elected members to the Legislative Council or the Executive Council.

We are more concerned in seeing that the poor and the underpri- vileged, the white-collar and the middle income groups—in other words, the common people are able to enjoy their unalienable right to a rising standard of living, better housing, free schooling for their children, low cost medical services and all the amenities that are taken for granted in any modern democratic and industrialized community.

We are concerned that there are tens of thousands of Hong Kong- born children in our resettlement estates who are not going to school, for no other reason than that these unfortunate children must stay home to look after their younger brothers and sisters, or to eke out a pittance out of handicraft work. In our resettlement estates alone there are over 6,000 vacant primary school places.

We are concerned that restaurants are permitted by Government to employ young children to work from 6 p.m. to 2.30 a.m. as toilet attend- ants 7 days a week, simply because these children can be paid only half what an adult has to be paid.

We are concerned that shop fokis have to work a 7-day week, quite often for 10-14 hours a day and that there is no legislation requiring employers to allow them one day off a week.

HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL

587

spectre to be dreaded because of inadequate medical facilities for the population.

We are concerned about Hong Kong's younger generation, because there are 2 million young people who are under the age of 21 in Hong Kong.

How can this democratic way of life be safeguarded for the future when tens of thousands of our children are being denied the simple right even to a primary education?

How can the world's oldest Parliament governing the most demo- cratic country in the world be said to be fulfilling its Colonial respon- sibility when it permits children to grow in squalor and ignorance and without any education whatsoever in a place which is reputed to be the most glamorous and richest Colony in the world?

Are we doing enough to educate our young people so that they can stand on their own feet and become responsible citizens when they reach adulthood?

Can the Hong Kong Government convincingly say that it is doing its utmost when there are over 6,000 vacant primary school places in our resettlement estates, even though there may be several tens of thou- sands of children of school age being kept away from school?

What is the cause of the rising rate of juvenile delinquency? Can it be ascribed solely to the fact that Hong Kong is becoming more in- dustrialized, more congested, and more competitive?

Or can it be said that the main responsibility is that of the Govern- ment which is not providing enough vocational training and recreational facilities for our younger generation?

These are the practical and real problems which face the people of Hong Kong. The Civic Association firmly believe that since the Urban Council is the only body with elected members, this Council should be given the responsibility of managing the Education, Medical and Health, and Social Welfare Departments.

With these Departments under the Urban Council, the elected and the appointed Unofficial members will exert their utmost energies to fight for better social services for the people of Hong Kong.

1965 — Page 304

Edit History

Comments

Private Research Note