Frankie say, 'financial crime, don't do it'
Ever since the launch of the probe into the Bank of China (Hong Kong)'s Liu Jinbao, reporters have got used to close relations with the bank.
You'll remember that it was BOCHK that extended the $2.1 billion credit facility to Shanghai tycoon Chau Ching-ngai. Shortly before the spotlight fell on Chau, the bank's chief executive was recalled to Beijing.
In the following weeks, international attention fell upon the case and BOCHK revealed itself to be unusually media-friendly. Reporters found themselves receiving daily missives. Admittedly they were often late at night with statements reaching media inboxes at 11pm, but it became a kind of regular update.
Seems things have eased off somewhat. The bank is in a playful mood.
Yesterday's note came through earlier than usual - at 5pm.
'We have nothing to release today. Just relax!'
Jaunty lot these bankers. Or maybe there's a warning here in their advice to relax.
Lai See wonders if BOCHK is familiar with the 1980s Frankie Goes To Hollywood hit Relax and its chorus of, 'Relax, don't do it'.
Shoal's out for summer
After last month's debacle, when the Post Office's World Heritage in China first-day cover had to be recalled due to a typo, Lai See notes it is dipping into a safer pool for its most recent philatelic issue.
The previous gaffe saw a typo on the stamp depicting the terracotta warriors with the caption 'from the first Qin emporer'. The shame-faced Post Office admitted that its failure to use a spell-check meant a reprint at a cost to taxpayers of $200,000.
But to philatelists' delight a set of stamps depicting four fish species that are popular as pets in Hong Kong will be issued on Thursday.
Acting Postmaster General Tsang Kwok-lam said the pet fish were known for their beautiful colours and exquisite shapes.
Lai See wonders if the fish were chosen for more than just aesthetic reasons. With names such as the Dwarf Gourami and Discus, few punters would be able to recognise a typo with these slippery characters.
neighbourhood Watch
Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa might like to take a leaf out of President Pervez Musharraf's book.
No, not in debating how one might define the acts of treason, subversion, secession or sedition. Rather, in combatting the overseas perception of high levels of crime.
Latest figures show this year's crime rate escalating by 18 per cent, with theft up by more than a third. Not helpful figures in our bid to tempt tourists back to our own SAR.
The Pakistani president, only too aware of his nation's poor PR, resulting from numerous reports of violence and murder in Karachi in recent years, has taken matters into his own hands, reports Reuters.
At a conference of French business executives, President Musharraf brought attention to his own late-night crime-fighting exploits.
'I roam about the beaches of Karachi at night, incognito, I mean just to see,' he said in a bid to reassure the potential investors.
'There is no law and order problem in Pakistan. That is in the past now,' he added.
Perhaps we might see our own embattled chief executive skulking about Hong Kong streets at night.
Could he be Hong Kong's secret weapon in stopping people attacking police officers, catching those here illegally and reversing the increasing trend towards violent crime?
Why not? That would be the same chief executive who keeps telling us, 'I understand people's concerns.'
Million Dollar Question
Are you competitive by nature yet thirsty for knowledge? Do you find that run-of-the-mill quiz questions on general knowledge, pop and sport just don't cut it?
Lai See has just the test for you, the National Security Quiz.
That's right. Don't believe those scare-mongering Democrats. Guessing exactly what acts will be outlawed by Article 23's definitions of treason, subversion, secession or sedition (those three words again) can be fun.
The quiz sits on the government's Web site, among all the serious stuff such as compendiums of submissions and comparisons of national security laws around the world.
Always up for a challenge, Lai See took the test.
We were a bit disappointed to be told that our score merited the comment, 'There seems to be further rooms for improving your knowledge'.
While we're talking about room for improvement, how about the government's grammar?
Given that consideration of the national security legislation has been deferred, we asked the government if they'd be revising said site. A Securities Bureau spokeswoman said, 'no'. After all, she pointed out, the test remained a good source from which the public could learn more about Article 23.
But the quiz failed to ask the question or provide the answer to the query on everyone's lips: Will Mr Tung step down?
