Jake's View | Housing Authority has no business in being a shopping mall landlord

"Let me repeat: the [housing] authority will continue to manage these commercial facilities and has no plans for further divestment."

Note the tone of authority in this statement - "Let me repeat." It is rare these days to find a public official prepared to be quite so firm about a policy measure.

Unless, of course, he knows that his bosses are so firmly on his side that they would never rein him in. It reminds me of the old cartoon of the politician ringed by armed policemen as he says, "And I can tell you without fear of contradiction ...".

I'm sure it is true that commentator Albert Cheng King-hon had things twisted the wrong way round when claiming he had evidence that the Housing Authority will again sell off its shops as it did in the flotation of The Link Reit nine years ago.

Albert had a rumour, not evidence, and, amongst public housing boosters, rumours about the dastardly plots of The Link Reit rise to the surface faster and in greater number than fizz bubbles in a soft drink.