Living issues top agenda

Chief Executive CY Leung will deliver his first Policy Address on Jan 16. According to the survey results released by the Center for Asian Studies of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the majority of the interviewees look forward to the coming Policy Address but few have high expectations, reflecting that citizens are fully aware of the difficulties the government faces in tackling deep-rooted social problems.

Our CE should maintain a pragmatic approach toward his Policy Address, with concrete measures to address public needs in terms of housing and poverty relief. In the long run, he should present fresh and feasible goals with great vision and farsightedness in policy-making so as to restore public confidence.

The survey indicates that, generally speaking, Hong Kong people have moderate expectations towards policy addresses. It is understandable that as the new SAR government has been in office for just six months so far, local residents have adopted a wait-and-see attitude towards its policy orientation and governing ability. Currently, Hong Kong is facing a mass of problems like sky-high property prices, under-diversified industrial development and the widening income gap. Hongkongers understand that it is unlikely the government has practical solutions at the ready so soon. Eager as they are to see their lives improved, local residents also appreciate the fact the new SAR government is faced with challenges every step of the way.

Among the listed policy areas in the survey, housing and people's livelihood are the two most popular options chosen to be prioritized, followed by economic development and medical care. Leung recently paid his first duty visit to Beijing since taking office in July and the new central leadership asked the SAR government to focus on enhancing economic growth. This underscores the fact that ordinary citizens as well as the central government are concerned about the economy more than anything else. Leung stated on New Year's Day that his first Policy Address will not only be a work report, but also the blueprint for his governance in the coming five years. Leung and his administration have been collecting the public's feedback and carefully weighing different options to highlight their concern in preparation for the Policy Address. Hence, it is hoped that this Policy Address can present us a citizen-oriented, technically-feasible and sustainable development plan.

This is an excerpted translation of a Wen Wei Po editorial published on Jan 4.

Home, sweet home

When it comes to making New Year resolutions, world peace used to be one of the common options for Hong Kong people, while more happiness and less resentment are the ones uttered most this year.

Back to the 1950s-60s after World War II, when Hong Kong had not yet undergone economic lift-off, local dwellers were rich in spiritual well-being despite a lack of material wealth. We earned our own living from scratch and through hard struggles. After Hong Kong's crowning as one of the Four Asian Dragons, citizens were no longer as carefree as they once were, and began to blame the government for all the unsatisfactory matters. Complaints like "the government is responsible for my failure to buy properties" are not uncommon.

Some radical youths are so shortsighted and naive that they blame the government for not helping them break out of the poverty trap, while these youths spend extravagantly on electronic gadgets and designer clothes, and have burdened themselves with debt. They believe their bad luck will disappear as they speak out for immediate universal suffrage in the name of democracy.

The path to democracy should suit the conditions in different localities. In Middle East countries, those so-called Spring Uprisings turned into chaos and severely disrupted the local social order. Even though Indonesia and the Philippines followed American steps in holding apparently democratic elections, those countries still suffer from poverty. We can also witness political instability in Japan, which allied with the Philippines and Vietnam under American guidance. China is not alone, as we observe that all other countries have their own problems. Instead of blaming China for everything, we should take a positive approach and help tackle our unresolved issues by way of strengthening monitoring measures.

We should extend our vision on a global scale and compare our conditions to those of other nations and regions. Only then can we realize how fortunate and blessed we are. It is important for us to fulfill our civic obligation by making constructive feedbacks to our government.

This is an excerpted translation of a Ta Kung Pao editorial published on Jan 4.

(HK Edition 01/05/2013 page3)