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HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Why were the voters so indifferent? One of the reasons, I believe, is the limited scope and responsibilities of the Urban Council. Because of this, it seems that the Council has little power to effect innovative changes in urban matters. As a result, the public have become disinterested in the Urban Council Elections. Furthermore, the voting date is not set on a holiday, many voters are reluctant to give up their business so as to cast their votes, especially the voters who live in the New Territories. They have to travel a long journey to cast their votes at the designated polling stations in any one of the electoral districts on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
The Government has appealed for active participation on the part of the eligible voters in the election, but failed to achieve this aim. I should therefore, like to draw your attention to the following points: (1) Government has declared that English and Chinese are both official languages and that they are to have equal status. I hope that this welcome decision will be put into practice throughout the city as soon as possible. I think this will encourage more able people to come forward for election to the Council.
(2) Three additional polling stations for the Urban Council Elections should be set up at Yuen Long, Tai Po and Tsuen Wan, in order that the residents living in the New Territories would be more convenient to vote.
(3) An expansion of the franchise should be contemplated, because the present franchise is too strict and eligible voters only amount to 400,000. If 400,000 voters all register and come forward to vote, they still cannot represent Hong Kong, a city with 4-million population.
(4) An automatic system of registration for the persons qualified to vote at Urban Council Elections should be introduced.
(5) The scope and responsibilities for the Urban Council should be widened.
Should the above suggestions materialize, I am confident that voters would have more interest in and actively vote at the Urban Council Elections, and that Council members would be in a better position to serve the community. I sincerely hope that under the good guidance of our chairman, and with the best efforts of our colleagues, the above mentioned suggestions will be effected. Thank you! (Applause).
(Mr. LO Tak-shing left the meeting at this point.)
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
317
DR. P. C. WONG (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, Fellow Councillors, Members of Public, I will take this opportunity of the Annual Conventional Debate of the Urban Council to express my personal views on Urban Council and I wish to use the very useful words used by Mr. FORSGATE yesterday. The words are "new recruit", and though I am just a "new recruit" I think the purview of Urban Council must be expanded and at the same time, the drafting of legislation of Hong Kong must be done cautiously because over 95% of the local population are Chinese, and I wish to say that most of the Chinese in Hong Kong have a right view about the Urban Council. However, conclusively, I must say that the public relations of the Urban Council has been badly undertaken and generally it is inadequate and the public at large have a very poor understanding of the work of the Urban Council.
Traditionally the Chinese look upon the work of the City Council as comprising public works, security, public utilities, health services, education, finance, and other administrative affairs. However, the Council of Hong Kong only deals with cemeteries, funeral parlours, City Hall, entertainments and advertisements, environmental hygiene, food hygiene, hawkers, libraries, markets and abattoirs, museum, art gallery, recreation, amenities, internal administrative financial affairs and standing orders. From what I have said, the jurisdiction of the Urban Council is far too narrow. On the other hand, the public thinks that the Urban Council can solve most of the problems. Once they find out that it is not so, they naturally become disappointed and query the actual existence of the Council. For example, when the public seek help from the Urban Council to solve housing problems, the Councillors are almost powerless because housing does not fall within the purview of the Urban Council. Although we have several offices established through the urban areas, however, most of the complaints relate to housing problem.
In the Election last year, I had called for the importance that every dweller should have his own flat. In fact most people spend more than 40% of their earnings on housing, and Urban Councillors have done their very best to help them by asking the Housing Department to assist. What we get is a minor assistant in that department saying that they are unable to help and the applicant must wait. They haven't said it wrongly though, because the applicant usually waits for 7 to 8 years.
Some have even died before they even have their applications granted. In this direction, the Council should endeavour to help, although it is not within our jurisdiction because if a person is not properly housed, his spirit must suffer to a point of being uncontrolled. Then will come not a matter of law, but a big problem.
Page 194 of 212
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...
Page 194 of 212
[
Page 194 of 212
316
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
Why were the voters so indifferent? One of the reasons, I believe, is the limited scope and responsibilities of the Urban Council. Because of this, it seems that the Council has litte power to effect innovative changes in urban matters. As a result, the public have become dis- interested in the Urban Council Elections. Furthermore, the voting date is not set on a holiday, many voters are reluctant to give up their business so as to cast their votes, especially the voters who live in the New Territories. They have to travel a long journey to cast their votes at the designated polling stations in any one of the electoral districts on Hong Kong Island and Kowloon.
The Government has appealed for active participation on the part of the eligible voters in the election, but failed to achieve this aim. I should therefore, like to draw your attention to the following points: (1) Government has declared that English and Chinese are both official languages and that they are to have equal status. I hope that this welcome decision will be put into practice throughout the city as soon as possible. I think this will encourage more able people to come forward for election to the Council.
(2) Three additional polling stations for the Urban Council Elections should be set up at Yuen Long, Tai Po and Tsuen Wan, in order that the residents living in the New Territories would be more convenient to vote.
(3) An expansion of the franchise should be contemplated, because the present franchise is too strict and eligible voters only amount to 400,000. If 400,000 voters all register and come forward to vote, they still cannot represent Hong Kong, a city with 4-million population.
(4) An automatic system of registration for the persons qualified to vote at Urban Council Elections should be introduced. (5) The scope and responsibilities for the Urban Council should
be widened.
Should the above suggestions materialize, I am confident that voters would have more interest in and actively vote at the Urban Council Elections, and that Council members would be in a better position to serve the community. I sincerely hope that under the good guidance of our chairman, and with the best efforts of our colleagues, the above mentioned suggestions will be effected. Thank you! (Applause).
(Mr. LO Tak-shing left the meeting at this point.)
HONG KONG URBAN COUNCIL
317
DR. P. C. WONG (in Cantonese):—Mr. Chairman, Fellow Council- lors, Members of Public, I will take this opportunity of the Annual Conventional Debate of the Urban Council to express my personal views on Urban Council and I wish to use the very useful words used by Mr. FORSGATE yesterday. The words are "new recruit”, and though I am just a "new recruit" I think the purview of Urban Council must be expanded and at the same time, the drafting of legislation of Hong Kong must be done cautiously because over 95% of the local popula- tion are Chinese, and I wish to say that most of the Chinese in Hong Kong have a right view about the Urban Council. However, conclu- sively, I must say that the public relations of the Urban Council has been badly undertaken and generally it is inadequate and the public at large have a very poor understanding of the work of the Urban Council.
Traditionally the Chinese look upon the work of the City Council as comprising public works, security, public utilities, health services, education, finance, and other administrative affairs. However, the Council of Hong Kong only deals with cemeteries, funeral parlours, City Hall, entertainments and advertisements, environmental hygiene, food hygiene, hawkers, libraries, markets and abattoirs, museum, art gallery, recreation, amenities, internal administrative financial affairs and standing orders. From what I have said, the jurisdiction of the Urban Council is far too narrow. On the other hand, the public thinks that the Urban Council can solve most of the problems. Once they find out that it is not so, they naturally become disappointed and query the actual existence of the Council. For example, when the public seek help from the Urban Council to solve housing problems, the Councillors are almost powerless because housing does not fall within the purview of the Urban Council. Although we have several offices established through the urban areas, however, most of the complaints relate to housing problem.
In the Election last year, I had called for the importance that every dweller should have his own flat. In fact most people spend more than 40% of their earnings on housing, and Urban Councillors have done their very best to help them by asking the Housing Depart- ment to assist. What we get is a minor assistant in that department saying that they are unable to help and the applicant must wait. They haven't said it wrongly though, because the applicant usually waits for 7 to 8 years.
Some have even died before they even have their applications granted. In this direction, the Council should endeavour to help, although it is not within our jurisdiction because if a person is not properly housed, his spirit must suffer to a point of being uncontrolled. Then will come not a matter of law, but a big problem.
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