Hong Kong needs a dose of dictatorship, not democracy, to get things done
Michael Chugani says strong leadership would resolve everyday issues that have been neglected in our obsession with democracy
Forget about democracy. What Hong Kong now needs is a sharp dose of dictatorship. Confrontational politics over democracy have devoured us for too long. Politicians and government officials are so locked in clashes over the issue that they have neglected other things that actually make a difference in people's everyday lives. We have become a broken society. Only an iron hand without the drawbacks of democracy can repair the damage.
We are broken not in a big way, but in numerous little ways that have combined to decay our society. Our rule of law is still intact, the crime rate is low, power blackouts are virtually non-existent and the economy is stable. But when was the last time you saw a motorist being ticketed for stopping in the middle of a box junction or a pedestrian crossing because he couldn't make it through the lights? Probably never, although it happens all the time.
Have you ever seen MTR staff actually observe the railway's own rules by not allowing passengers with oversized luggage to board? I haven't. You must have read recent reports about bus drivers ignoring safety rules by allowing mainland visitors in Tuen Mun to board with oversized suitcases. Why are delivery people allowed to store dozens of huge distilled water bottles on already overcrowded pavements?
Taxi drivers now brazenly take the law into their own hands, choosing where they are willing to go and even negotiating fares with passengers. When did the government last update our noise laws? The laws have become so outdated, they are meaningless. Construction sites routinely ignore noise laws without fear. An open-plan, windowless restaurant on Arbuthnot Road, a purely residential area, had a live band blasting out their music into the night last weekend. What civilised society would allow that?
A wait of four hours is now normal in the emergency rooms of government hospitals. Elderly people who cannot afford private health care face waits of months or even years for simple cataract surgery. Abuse of public housing by well-off tenants is so widespread that it's scandalous. What's worse, the government is clueless about how many tenants no longer qualify for subsidised housing.
These may all sound like moans, but they are not. They are worrying signs of a decaying society caused by a lack of leadership. Hongkongers regularly march in the streets for democracy. Legislators clash daily over what exactly true democracy is. Do you recall them ever being equally concerned about our polluted air, rampant illegal parking, overcrowded MTR trains, subdivided slum flats and the growing number of elderly poor?
It would be nice to know democracy would fix all the things that are broken, but we know it's not a magic wand. Our idolising of democracy has much to do with the growing rot in our society. Endless public consultations obstruct even simple policymaking. Surely, leadership decisions can replace consultations on issues such as electronic road pricing to ease congestion and expanding landfills.
We need to take a break from our obsession with democracy to get our eyes back on the ball. A dose of dictatorship is what we need to get things done.
