In nearly six decades of public service, Jack Cater affected the lives of all, from humble pig farmers to tycoons ; Jack Cater, 1922-2006
Of all his contributions to Hong Kong, Sir Jack Cater, the former Chief Secretary who died on Friday after a long illness on the Channel Island of Guernsey, will be best remembered for helping to establish the Independent Commission Against Corruption.
In the nearly six decades he spent in Hong Kong's public service, Cater filled many roles, from enhancing the quality of pigs bred on New Territories farms, to helping to finance modern fishing vessels; from putting fishing community's children into schools, to helping the fledgling Trade Development Council on to its feet.
However, his most important contribution to Hong Kong was made as the first commissioner of ICAC, which was formally established in February 1974 amid the outcry over Peter Godber, the corrupt police chief superintendent who fled to England rather than answer questions about personal assets worth $4.3million.
More than 30 years after it was established, ICAC has made an enduring contribution to Hong Kong's transformation. A city notorious for ambulance drivers and firefighters demanding 'tea money' before picking up patients or turning on their hoses has become one of Asia's financial powerhouses, with a reputation for clean and efficient government.
Outrage over such corruption reached its peak in demonstrations against Godber and, facing growing public outrage over police corruption, the then colonial governor, Sir Murray MacLehose, decided that Cater was the man for the job.