Page 146 of 241
272
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
by our senior Unofficial Member of the Council, Mr. SALES, a few minutes ago, delay in the decision on four additional technical institutes, delay in the availability of land for development in the public and private sectors, delay in more low-cost housing schemes, and delay in the huge waiting list for government housing. No matter where you look, there is the heavy hand of official delay holding up progress. One is entitled to ask if delay is a form of life with the Government. If a thing can be done today, is it official policy to put it off until tomorrow? If it is not—and I hope not—the impression created, unfortunately, looks suspiciously like it. The other week, I received an invitation from a Kaifong member. It was addressed to me in Chinese, and carried an invitation to a Chinese dinner and with your permission, Sir, may I read it out in Chinese. (Mr. RAFEEK quoted in Chinese). As I said it carried an invitation to dinner to mark an auspicious tenth anniversary? When I reached the words "tenth anniversary", I became curious. Was it the tenth anniversary of a wedding? A birth? A visit? A happy event? No, it was to celebrate the tenth anniversary of waiting for a flat to be allocated in a housing scheme. Put like this, the situation is almost a joke. But people who have to wait so long because of Government delays in providing the land, don't find it a laughing matter. I urge for an end to delays that can be avoided, and would like to be assured no delays occur simply because to delay is an administrative manoeuvre.
My last point today relates to gambling, which I see as a growing menace, and which I associate with the general dissatisfaction over the economic malaise. A society full of gamblers is a society of the mentally ill, a society where the breadwinner takes chances because he cannot make his ends meet.
It is amazing to what extent gambling has proliferated in addition to "che fa" and "yee ha hai" certain tea-houses operate almost exclusively for the benefit of such gamblers on the evenings in the week when the dogs are running in Macau and the customers in some of these tea-houses ostensibly sip tea and order dim-sum, but in fact when waiters take their orders and write, for example, the numbers 2 or 3 on a slip of paper, they do not refer either to har-kau or siu-main, but to the second dog in the third race in Macau.
In this way, thousands go to the dogs several times a week. My fear is that unless we do something about it and all the other signs of stress in our society that I have discussed today, the whole Colony will soon be going to the dogs.
With these words, Mr. Chairman, I support the motion.
MR. PETER P. K. NG:-Mr. Chairman, before I start, I would like to associate the remarks of my friend, Mr. SALES, in his complimentary remarks in our staff efficiency, and especially Mr. TINSON, Who has always been so helpful to all Unofficials in all matters, irrespective of the scope of duty.
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
273
The first subject I would like to talk about today is "the high cost of dying in Hong Kong"—a subject that had been touched upon by my Friend, Mr. LOBO four years ago on a similar occasion. It is not an uncommon saying today that it costs more to die than it does to live. This saying, I must say, is cynical but true. Far back in 1950, the population of Hong Kong was at a mere one million level, and there were two funeral parlours at that time. But today, after an elapse of twenty years, and with a four-fold increase of population, there has been but just one additional funeral house to meet a much greater need of the public. For this reason, it is easy to understand why funeral services in Hong Kong have always been so costly, which is well beyond the means of an ordinary family. What seems to be more unfortunate is, these three funeral institutions (two on the Island and one in Kowloon) are being operated under one and the same management, and if my understanding in this is not wrong, this is virtual monopoly, which is of a unique nature free from payment of royalty to Government. This is no doubt a big impediment to the provision of cheap services for the general public and this situation has unfortunately been allowed to continue at Government's toleration. We must realize it is a traditional Chinese concept to honour the dead by giving him proper funeral services and in order to follow this conventional practice, it often means spending the last cent for many families and this is yet another merciless blow to them on top of the one caused by their irretrievable loss. It is therefore felt that the Government should delay no longer in giving serious consideration in this matter and should review the existing land policy so that more than one, not only one, piece of land could be allotted in the nearest future for the erection of more funeral parlours in the best interest of the community as a whole. Apart from Government, local charitable bodies should be encouraged to do something too. The Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, for example, should at least be assisted to run one funeral parlour on each side of the Harbour to provide services at the lowest possible charging rates. Furthermore, Government should adopt the private tender system in the sale of a few pieces of land simultaneously, all earmarked for the erection of funeral parlours so that monopoly in this business will, as far as possible, be avoided. One should set the target on lands, which are farther away from populous areas to avoid opposition on superstitious or other grounds. It will be ideal if the number of funeral parlours on the Island and that on the Peninsula could be so arranged that they will be more or less correspond with the population ratio of these two places on both sides of the Harbour. With this new phase in the funeral-parlour business, many an otherwise worried soul will for ever rest in peace.
Page 146 of 241
272
...
Page 147 of 241
273
f241
Page 146 of 241
272
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
by our senior Unofficial Member of the Council, Mr. SALES, a few minutes ago, delay in the decision on four additional technical institutes, delay in the availability of land for development in the public and private sectors, delay in more low-cost housing schemes, and delay in the huge waiting list for government housing. No matter where you look, there is the heavy hand of official delay holding up progress. One is entitled to ask if delay is a form of life with the Government. If a thing can be done today, is it official policy to put it off until tomorrow? If it is not-and I hope not-the impression created, unfortunately, looks suspiciously like it. The other week, I received an invitation from a Kaifong member. It was addressed to me in Chinese, and carried an invitation to a Chinese dinner and with your permission, Sir, may I read it out in Chinese. (Mr. RAFEEK quoted in Chinese). As I said it carried an invitation to dinner to mark an auspicious tenth anniversary? When I reached the words "tenth anniversary", I became curious. Was it the tenth anniversary of a wedding? A birth? A visit? A happy event? No, it was to celebrate the tenth anniversary of waiting for a flat to be allocated in a housing scheme. Put like this, the situation is almost a joke. But people who have to wait so long because of Government delays in providing the land, don't find it a laughing matter. I urge for an end to delays that can be avoided, and would like to be assured no delays occur simply because to delay is an administrative manoeuvre.
My last point today relates to gambling, which I see as a growing menace, and which I associate with the general dissatisfaction over the economic malaise. A society full of gamblers is a society of the mentally ill, a society where the breadwinner takes chances because he cannot make his ends meet.
It is amazing to what extent gambling has proliferated in addition to "che fa" and "yee ha hai" certain tea-houses operate almost exclu- sively for the benefit of such gamblers on the evenings in the week when the dogs are running in Macau and the customers in some of these tea-houses ostensibly sip tea and order dim-sum, but in fact when waiters take their orders and write, for example, the numbers 2 or 3 on a slip of paper, they do not refer either to har-kau or siu-main, but to the second dog in the third race in Macau.
In this way, thousands go to the dogs several times a week. My fear is that unless we do something about it and all the other signs of stress in our society that I have discussed to-day, the whole Colony will soon be going to the dogs.
With these words, Mr. Chairman, I support the motion.
MR. PETER P. K. NG:-Mr. Chairman, before I start, I would like to associate the remarks of my friend, Mr. SALES, in his compli-
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
273
mentary remarks in our staff efficiency, and especially Mr. TINSON, Who has always been so helpful to all Unofficials in all matters, irrespective of the scope of duty.
The first subject I would like to talk about today is "the high cost of dying in Hong Kong"-a subject that had been touched upon by my Friend, Mr. LOBO four years ago on a similar occasion. It is not an uncommon saying today that it costs more to die than it does to live. This saying, I must say, is cynical but true. Far back in 1950, the population of Hong Kong was at a mere one million level, and there were two funeral parlours at that time. But today, after an elapse of twenty years, and with a four-fold increase of population, there has been but just one additional funeral house to meet a much greater need of the public. For this reason, it is easy to understand why funeral services in Hong Kong have always been so costly, which is well beyond the means of an ordinary family. What seems to be more unfortunate is, these three funeral institutions (two on the Island and one in Kowloon) are being operated under one and the same management, and if my understanding in this is not wrong, this is virtual monopoly, which is of a unique nature free from payment of royalty to Government. This is no doubt a big impediment to the provision of cheap services for the general public and this situation has unfortunately been allowed to continue at Government's toleration. We must realize it is a traditional Chinese concept to honour the dead by giving him proper funeral services and in order to follow this con- ventional practice, it often means spending the last cent for many families and this is yet another merciless blow to them on top of the one caused by their irretrievable loss. It is therefore felt that the Govern- ment should delay no longer in giving serious consideration in this matter and should review the existing land policy so that more than one, not only one, piece of land could be alloted in the nearest future for the erection of more funeral parlours in the best interest of the community as a whole. Apart from Government, local charitable bodies should be encouraged to do something too. The Tung Wah Group of Hospitals, for example, should at least be assisted to run one funeral parlour on each side of the Harbour to provide services at the lowest possible charging rates. Furthermore, Government should adopt the private tender system in the sale of a few pieces of land simultaneously, all earmarked for the erection of funeral parlours so that monopoly in this business will, as far as possible, be avoided. One should set the target on lands, which are farther away from populous areas to avoid opposition on superstitious or other grounds. It will be ideal if the number of funeral parlours on the Island and that on the Peninsula could be so arranged that they will be more or less correspond with the population ratio of these two places on both sides of the Harbour. With this new phase in the funeral-parlour business, many an otherwise worried soul will for ever rest in peace.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.