Lai See
Government needs a rear-view mirror to right distorted vision
The Hong Kong government's chronic incompetence is not in dispute, what with a chief executive whose every public appearance now degenerates into another exercise in self-flagellation that is getting harder and harder to watch.
Tung Chee-hwa's post-policy address to the Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce on Monday was but the latest instance of his harping on his administration's many 'inadequacies' and repeated 'soul-searching in the areas [in which] we have failed'.
The root cause of this incompetence, however, has long been a matter of much speculation and debate. Did Mr Tung inherit a poisoned chalice from Perfidious Albion and its populist end-of-era governor who deliberately inflated a feel-good bubble in the service of his own political ends?
Are today's woes all down to unavoidable externalities - in particular the fallout from the Asian financial crisis?
Or, is Mr Tung in fact fighting the good fight behind closed doors, gamely keeping at bay meddling communist cadres who would do even worse damage if not for his unheralded efforts?
Consider the mystery solved. Lai See today presents dramatic evidence of the real reason for the rot. Basically, it's a complex medical condition commonly known as 'the vision thing'. We have learned that the government suffers from an optical affliction in which what is left appears to be right and what is right appears to be left. (It is believed a similar distortion affects judgments of right and wrong.) The result is hopeless policy muddle after policy muddle and endless drift.
Witness the policy address pamphlet (below) obtained by Lai See through an alert reader. It captures the government's view of Central. Notice the mirror-image distortion, with buildings east of landmarks that should be to the west, and vice versa.
But, fear not, Dr Lai See can prescribe a cure. The government needs only look at the world on a rear-view mirror and all will be put right again.
Leaving at his prime
Mainland property developer Sunco China held a press conference in Beijing yesterday to introduce its new chairman, 34-year-old Wang Hao.
Mr Wang's predecessor, Zhang Guizong, and controlling shareholder Sun Hongbin were at pains explaining to the media that the reshuffle would only be positive for the Hong Kong main-board listing candidate.
Mr Sun emphasised Mr Wang's real estate training, degree in architecture and experience at a bigger property rival, Vanke, and a major bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.
The last stop on his resume, apparently, was the clincher. Mr Sun proudly noted that Mr Wang 'came to us [from ICBC] together with a loan'.
Separately, reporters noted that Mr Zhang, who had effectively run Sunco for the past six years, is stepping down from the chairmanship at the tender age of 42. Asked if he, too, planned to retire in his 40s, Mr Wang replied: 'I'm working towards that.'
Actually, we're not sure if that's a good ambition for the chairman of a listed company.
