Don't block HK donation

The Legislative Council (LegCo) met on Wednesday to deliberate on the SAR government's formal request to donate HK$100 million to quake-stricken people in Ya'an. Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying reiterated on Tuesday that Hong Kong people should offer help out of compassion for their mainland compatriots and promised that the government will monitor the use of donations as best it can.

The disaster area around Ya'an is still frequently rocked by aftershocks, with the added menace of rain making rescue and relief work harder than it already is, as many who have survived the quake are now threatened by hunger and exposure to the elements. As things are in Ya'an, the SAR government has every reason to offer a HK$100 million cash donation and LegCo members should approve it immediately so that our compatriots in the disaster area can receive Hong Kong residents' love and care as soon as possible.

However, outrageous as it is, some opposition lawmakers have openly voiced their objection to making cash donations on the grounds that some parts of the funding for the Wenchuan disaster area after the devastating May 28, 2008 earthquake were misused. Some of them demanded that the cash donation be handled by non-government organizations (NGOs) instead of local government; while one of them suggested HK$100 million is too much and one-tenth of that sum (HK$10 million) should be enough, compared with other provincial governments' offers.

While those who demand exclusion of local governments in the handling of donations have completely ignored the fact that NGOs on the mainland are few and do not have the same kind of room to operate in as their Hong Kong counterparts do here, the suggestion that HK$10 million is enough simply defies humanitarian logic.

The truth is most opposition lawmakers are not so thoroughly heartless towards their mainland compatriots. And they know very well their objection to cash donation by the SAR government is extremely unpopular but oppose it anyway because their priority is to do whatever they can to disrupt the SAR government's normal operation. Here's hoping the opposition members of LegCo put their hearts in the right place and pass the donation request unconditionally.

This is an excerpted translation of a Ta Kung Pao editorial published on April 24.

Kwok Chung-hang

Filibuster doomed to fail

The radical opposition faction has once again played the old tricks by tabling over 700 amendments to try to stall the fiscal budget. Regardless of the damage it might cost, the opposition justified the filibuster campaign in the name of striving for a universal pension scheme for Hong Kong citizens. It is clear to everyone that their 'noble' cause is no more than a handy excuse, which is proved indefensible. It is commonly acknowledged that the application of the universal pension scheme requires deliberation and sufficient consultation, making it impossible to launch the scheme within a short period of time.

The delayed passing of the budget could severely hinder the government's service to citizens, including the provision of relief and subsidies to the poor and the needy. The government itself can also be severely affected and even paralyzed with insufficient funds. The unreasonable and nonsensical filibuster has as yet received no support from lawmakers across the political spectrum, reflecting that the move is doomed to fail and should be rightly denounced.

Although promising to interrupt any filibuster attempt to derail the budget debate, Tsang Yok-sing, the Legislative Council (LegCo) president, has approved most of the amendments for discussions. It is believed that Tsang's actions are to serve two purposes: the first to avoid the situation where radicals like Leung Kwok-hung and Wong Yuk-man challenge LegCo by criticizing Tsang and the pro-establishment camp to marginalize the minority lawmakers. Approving amendments by the radicals leaves no chance for them to portrait themselves as 'victims'.

Tsang's second purpose is to 'give the radicals enough rope to hang themselves'. If he hurtles towards cutting the filibuster before the LegCo meeting, Leung and Wong will take advantage for they will bear no political risk for their populist show. It is wise to play cat-and-mouse with the radicals and wait until they expose their ill-motivation during the meeting. When the filibuster campaign faces growing pressure from the public who become aware of the possible damage the filibuster can cause, cutting it will make an easier move for LegCo.

The author is a current affairs commentator. This is an excerpted translation of his column in Wen Wei Po published on April 24.

(HK Edition 04/25/2013 page9)