China Daily reports a Bauhinia Institute (who?) survey showing that 80% of Hong Kong people find the CE ‘election’ satisfactory, 69.4% think the housing shortage will be relieved in five years, and 73.9% believe John Lee ‘can help the city begin a new chapter, from chaos to order and prosperity’. (Story by one Shadow Li.)
Back in the real world, the week’s NatSec horrors start to stack up. Jimmy Lai and six others are committed to trial for conspiracy to commit collusion with foreign forces (maximum penalty: life) and conspiracy to print seditious publications. Ta Kung Pao picks its next target: taxi drivers displaying ‘yellow’ symbols in their cabs. The ‘Privacy’ (anti-political doxxing) Commissioner might ban the Telegram app. And a Hong Kong court has ruled that…
…prosecutors could label organisers of the city’s annual Tiananmen vigil “foreign agents” without having to reveal who the group is accused of working for.
Good luck defending yourselves.
If you worry that this sort of thing might harm the reputation of Hong Kong’s legal system – relax. Incoming Chief Executive John Lee will create a new Deputy Secretary for Justice post, saying…
“I want the secretary for justice and the deputy to go out to explain in full the legal system in Hong Kong, and the rule of law, and the independent judiciary in Hong Kong, so as to let people know the true picture of Hong Kong, particularly when we have been badmouthed by some politicians for political reasons, criticising unfairly the system that is being practised in Hong Kong.”
(Standard story here.)
The reshuffling of the bureaucracy (set in train by Carrie Lam) will involve the creation of 13 additional political appointees and 57 more civil service posts – costing a mere HK$95 million in salary per year. The deputy bureau chiefs will get HK$360,000 a month.
The bloat extends to bureaus’ titles. Home Affairs (where we put the token DAB dimwit) becomes Home and Youth Affairs, Environment becomes Environment and Ecology, and Innovation and Technology becomes Innovation, Technology and Industry (raising the possibility that the bureau might actually now have something to do).
In fairness – if someone can convince the world that Hong Kong rule of law is in perfect shape, HK$360,000 a month sounds like a bargain.
“…a Bauhinia Institute (who?) survey showing that 80% of Hong Kong people find the CE ‘election’ satisfactory, 69.4% think the housing shortage will be relieved in five years, and 73.9% believe John Lee ‘can help the city begin a new chapter, from chaos to order and prosperity’.”
What’s the old saying? “You can’t make this shit up”? Ahhhh…but you CAN.
So does this mean the secretary for justice and the deputy will go out and stand on street corners, on boxes, and yell into megaphones while they explain every code and sentence of the legal code?
that should really help in the “interpretation” of law that is necessary in order for their to be a legal system. are they in fact saying that the legal system is precisely what is written into law? no ambiguities? No need to interpret? Should make for a wonderful civil society that is “stable” and “lacking in chaos.”
“Shadow Li’ is the ‘Mary Ma’ of China Daily
https://muckrack.com/shadow-li/articles
Bauhinia Foundation thick tank bowed out recently so the tag is up for grabs
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3169450/hong-kongs-bauhinia-think-tank-bows-out-after-16-years-sign
I visited its offices once to complain that they were plagiarizing achievements of low key community groups and trotting them out as their initiatives……………….
Is that $360K figure before or after this?
https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/politics/article/3178175/hong-kong-civil-servants-likely-get-pay-rise-2-7-cent-year?
Nice work if you can get it.
Wow, the world’s highest paid ventriloquist dummies!
More pay and less responsibility than POTUS.
I think since basically anyone becoming POTUS these days will already be a multi millionaire anyway, the salary should be a token $1/year unless they can prove a true overriding need for the money.
What has always been a mystery to me, apart from civil servants morale of course, is why those at the top are invariably considered deserving of the higher percentage hike.
2% on $20,000 is $400 while 7% on $360,000 = $25,200.
No wonder we will never achieve Common Prosperity under which the lowly paid would get the 7% – $1,400 and the fat cats 2% $7,200 that would incrementally narrow the alarming and unfair gap in remuneration levels.
@Mary Melville: gotta keep bribing the top gov executives in HK those top salaries so they don’t go corrupt, right? It’s like an unwritten threat…”keep jacking up our pay to eye watering levels OR we will consider becoming corrupt”.