No question about it
Philip Wong Yu-hong asked what he would do to make people understand that our civil servants were real patriots. Andrew Cheng Kar-foo wondered how he could ensure that more Hong Kong people could work shorter hours so they could, like him, have the leisure to look after goldfish, play golf - or whistle.
Whether the murderous intent behind the legislators' questions was conveyed in a solemn look or cloaked behind smiles, acting Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen showed, through his deft answers at Thursday's question-and-answer session in the Legislative Council, that almost 40 years of public service has prepared him well for becoming Hong Kong's next chief executive.
Just as Mr Wong quoted Deng Xiaoping in his question, which subtly expressed traditional leftists' reservations about his loyalty, Mr Tsang also cited the statesman in asserting that most civil servants loved the country. Mr Cheng's loaded question was turned into an opportunity to tell the business community that, as chief executive, he would not force through measures to improve labour welfare.
Mr Tsang even managed to slip into one of his answers the clearest signal that he has Beijing's support to run for the top job. In response to Lee Wing-tat's question on whether he felt 'a candidate almost certain to win' should announce his candidacy as soon as possible to allow for public scrutiny, Mr Tsang opted for a frank answer about his own candidacy.
After explaining that he should not announce his candidacy now, as his task as acting chief executive was to amend the Chief Executive Election Ordinance, he then said: 'In this respect, I very much thank the people of Hong Kong and many colleagues here and on the mainland for their support and confidence in me.'
If nothing else, Mr Tsang looked presidential. His brief speech at the start of the session sounded like a campaign statement and contained all the right ingredients.
In subtle reference to 'one country', he said that Hong Kong's development must be beneficial to the country's overall situation. 'Hong Kong's economy has to restructure and develop,' he said. 'To respond to the challenge of globalisation, play a pivotal role in the Pearl River Delta and the pan-Pearl River Delta economic region, and strengthen our position as an international financial centre and international metropolis, there is room for improvement in both our hardware and software, and we cannot be complacent.' In respect of 'two systems', he said that Hong Kong people also wanted a better quality of life and a more open, democratic, just and caring society.
During Tung Chee-hwa's time as chief executive, the Hong Kong government was sometimes described as a well-manned ship that has gone adrift because the captain did not know how to steer it.
As a former career civil servant who has risen to the top through the ranks, Mr Tsang knows the ship inside out. He was also known to have a canny ability to make the best of the situation while sandwiched between his masters from London and his local colleagues and the public.
Hopefully, that ability would serve him well as chief executive, who is in a more difficult position than the colonial governor. For one thing, the governor was sent from the source of power, and the locals did not expect him to work for their interests. As the man on the ground, he could also fool his bosses that he knew better.
By comparison, Beijing has its own eyes and ears here. The chief executive has the onerous duty of articulating the aspirations of Hong Kong people, many of which are at odds with the wishes of the central government. To claim success, he has the arduous task of pleasing both.
C. K. Lau is the Post's executive editor, policy
