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universities previously known for their business and engineering schools. The graduates because of a less privileged position willingly started lower to climb to their present positions. Unfortunately most of these universities cannot now be expected to fill our needs, thus reducing an important source of our HLM supply.
It is reasonable to expect that architects planning for our higher education should have as their prime concern the basic needs of the community before attending to esthetics. In order to meet our urgent needs, it may be expedient to consider the following suggestions in addition to increasing existing facilities and accommodation :-
(1) To set up night university and degree-earning courses in the present universities as is done in U.K., U.S.A. and other developed countries.
(2) To rationalize the better-run private post-secondary schools and accord them an increasing degree of official recognition, by way of, for example, the setting up of boards of trustees with government and industry representation, external examinations to safeguard standards, and by extending grants.
Mr. Chairman, as much as I like to think that "what is good for industry is good for Hong Kong", I do not speak lengthily for industry's selfish interests. We have problems of the youth that loom increasingly large every day. Because of the lack of prospects through lack of opportunity to receive useful and recognized higher education, they have begun to desert us overseas in spite of our unprecedented development, and I hate to think that they may yet rebel if not deprived of this important cause. Whilst I have no quarrel with my colleagues' pet "Pop-in" programs for youths, I do feel that their abundant energy needs to be channelled for useful pursuits in life after an evening's harmless intoxication, or should I say diversion.
With these remarks, Mr. Chairman, I have pleasure to support the Motion. (Applause).
MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, I think the length of Mr. Wu's speech is answer to my friend Mr. SALES' criticism that you give preference to the ladies. (Laughter).
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, my stop watch did not go beyond nineteen minutes, so I was not aware that Mr. Wu had exceeded his allotted time. (Laughter).
MR. WU-Chairman, I timed my speech very carefully beforehand. (Laughter).
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MR. HENRY H. L. Hu:-Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, time flies. It is nearly four years since I have first been in the Council Chamber. Looking back the past four years, in June, 1965 a Motion of creation of local citizenship was proposed by me, and I am pleased to say that since this idea was first launched people in Hong Kong are more often willing to call themselves citizens of Hong Kong on public occasions. This idea has indeed strengthened the sense of belonging and created in any individual a greater awareness of his or her rights and duties in the community and the benefit that will accrue to him or her as a result of maintaining and developing the stability and progress of the society. In other words, it also gives individual persons a sense of responsibility to the community where they live. On the practical side, shortly after the Motion was tabled which was in June, in October of the same year, people of Hong Kong could have a Hong Kong Identity Certificate valuable for three years and for the purpose of multiple re-entry to Hong Kong. Before that people had to apply for re-entry permit for each trip. Such a measure has greatly alleviated the hardship of common people which they would otherwise suffer.
In October, 1965, a Motion concerning adoption of the Chinese language was again proposed by me and accepted by the Council without opposition. Since then, most of Government Departments seem to adopt a policy that in order to have closer relationship between the Government and the man in the street, Chinese language should be adopted in dealing with the matters concerning the Chinese inhabitants. The Governor said in the recent Budget Debate that nobody in their sense would deny the desirability to use Chinese as it is practically possible to do so. But the ways and means must be found so that in the Urban Council's debate both languages could be used. We could gradually have the prominent members of our community to participate in the Urban Council's work who can only speak Chinese. It is only fair and reasonable that in Hong Kong Chinese should gradually reach the official equal status as English.
I advocate that in order to achieve certain constitutional progress, the steps as mentioned in my two motions must first be seriously considered.
Constitutional reforms
About the constitutional reforms in Hong Kong, I would say that the franchise must be widened. The last year's disturbances have proved that the people of Hong Kong have not only earned their rights to vote for a representative government but they are also mature to exercise such a right. Based on this principle, we should have at least two directly elected members in the Legislative Council. I cannot
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universities previously known for their business and engineering schools. The graduates because of a less privileged position willingly started lower to climb to their present positions. Unfortunately most of these universities cannot now be expected to fill our needs, thus reducing an important source of our HLM supply.
It is reasonable to expect that architects planning for our higher education should have as their prime concern the basic needs of the community before attending to esthetics. In order to meet our urgent needs, it may be expedient to consider the following suggestions in addition to increasing existing facilities and accommodation :-
(1) To set up night university and degree-earning courses in the present universities as is done in U.K., U.S.A. and other developed countries.
(2) To rationalize the better-run private post-secondary schools and accord them an increasing degree of official recognition, by way of, for example, the setting up of boards of trustees with government and industry representation, external examinations to safegurad standards, and by extending grants.
Mr. Chairman, as much as I like to think that "what is good for industry is good for Hong Kong", I do not speak lengthily for industry's selfish interests. We have problems of the youth that loom in- creasingly large everyday. Because of the lack of prospects through lack of opportunity to receive useful and recognized higher education, they have begun to desert us overseas in spite of our unprecedented development, and I hate to think that they may yet rebel if not de- prived of this important cause. Whilst I have no quarrel with my colleagues' pet "Pop-in" programs for youths, I do feel that their abundant energy needs to be channelled for useful pursuits in life after an evening's harmless intoxication, or should I say diversion.
With these remarks, Mr. Chairman, I have pleasure to support the Motion. (Applause).
MR. BERNACCHI:-Mr. Chairman, I think the length of Mr. Wu's speech is answer to my friend Mr. SALES' criticism that you give prefer- ence to the ladies. (Laughter).
MR. SALES: Mr. Chairman, my stop watch did not go beyond nineteen minutes, so I was not aware that Mr. Wu had exceeded his allotted time. (Laughter).
MR. WU-Chairman, I timed my speech very carefully beforehand. (Laughter).
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
313
MR. HENRY H. L. Hu:-Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, time flies. It is nearly four years since I have first been in the Council Chamber. Looking back the past four years, in June, 1965 a Motion of creation of local citizenship was proposed by me, and I am pleased to say that since this idea was first launched people in Hong Kong are more often willing to call themselves citizens of Hong Kong on public occasions. This idea has indeed strengthened the sense of belonging and created in any individual a greater awareness of his or her rights and duties in the community and the benefit that will accrue to him or her as a result of maintaining and developing the stability and progress of the society. In other words, it also gives individual persons a sense of responsibility to the community where they live. On the practical side, shortly after the Motion was tabled which was in June, in October of the same year, people of Hong Kong could have a Hong Kong Identity Certificate valuable for three years and for the purpose of multiple re-entry to Hong Kong. Before that people had to apply for re-entry permit for each trip. Such a measure has greatly alleviated the hardship of common people which they would other- wise suffer.
In October, 1965, a Motion concerning adoption of the Chinese language was again proposed by me and accepted by the Council without opposition. Since then, most of Government Departments seem to adopt a policy that in order to have closer relationship between the Government and the man in the street, Chinese language shuold be adopted in dealing with the matters concerning the Chinese inhabitants. The Governor said in the recent Budget Debate that nobody in their sense would deny the desirability to use Chinese as it is practically possible to do so. But the ways and means must be found so that in the Urban Council's debate both languages could be used. We could gradually have the prominent members of our community to participate in the Urban Council's work who can only speak Chinese. It is only fair and reasonable that in Hong Kong Chinese should gradually reach the official equal status as English.
I advocate that in order to achieve certain constitutional progress, the steps as mentioned in my two motions must first be seriously considered.
Constitutional reforms
About the constitutional reforms in Hong Kong, I would say that the franchise must be widened. The last year's disturbances have proved that the people of Hong Kong have not only earned their rights to vote for a representative government but they are also mature to exercise such a right. Based on this principle, we should have at least two directly elected members in the Legislative Council. I can not
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