Even though he did not win the high-profile post of broadcasting chief, radio talk-show host Robert Chow Yung says he won an important fight anyway - silencing those who discriminate against people without university degrees.
Chow, who has described himself as 'more than qualified' for the job, said yesterday he was invited for an interview, but was told by the government he had not been chosen.
Describing Franklin Wong Wah-kay as a suitable candidate, Chow said he was not disappointed by the result of the recruitment process. 'There is no guarantee that an applicant would definitely get the job,' said Chow, the host of RTHK's Chinese-language show Talkabout.
He applied for the post of broadcasting director in February to fight what he saw as discrimination against people without a university degree. That came shortly after the government's decision to drop the post's university-degree requirement.
The government's decision was made after fewer than half the 20 applicants in the first round of recruitment met the minimum requirements. But it led to speculation that the revisions were tailor-made for Chow, a Form Five graduate. Lawmakers Cheung Man-kwong and Emily Lau Wai-hing said the removal of the degree requirement appeared to be directed at fitting the job to a particular person.
At a press conference in which he announced his decision to apply, Chow rose from his chair and said he felt compelled to stand up for people without degrees - to show that they 'could not be looked down upon'.