Letters | Let’s not use the Cathay discrimination scandal to prove one’s patriotism

Readers discuss the overreaction to an incident that puts Hong Kong-mainland relations at stake, and the frustration of constant tech upgrades

Hong Kong

Letters

Published: 11:30am, 1 Jun 2023

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Three Cathay Pacific flight attendants made fun of a mainland customer’s English ability on a flight from Chengdu to Hong Kong. Their conversation was recorded by another traveller and went viral on social media. The company investigated, apologised four times in three days and fired the three employees involved.

Hong Kong’s chief executive has expressed his anger and disappointment over the scandal, while the Equal Opportunities Commission chairman Ricky Chu Man-kin has warned that the crew’s conduct could constitute indirect discrimination under the Race Discrimination Ordinance.

Legislator Michael Luk Chung-hung of the Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions even called it a continuation of the 2019 social unrest, a kind of “soft resistance” against the government. Taking advantage of the incident in this way to score points for political grandstanding is reckless and can harm Hong Kong-mainland relations more than the incident itself has.

Mocking customers is certainly unprofessional, disrespectful and unbecoming in any service industry. The Cathay Pacific Airways Flight Attendants’ Union has blamed the incident on staff shortages, low pay and low morale. The airline did the right thing to terminate their contracts.

However, such incidents are just the result of poor management and misbehaving employees who have been rightly penalised. Politicians should refrain from puffing up their patriotic chests and politicising a minor scandal for media attention and political gain.

Luk’s melodramatic rhetoric not only exacerbates cross-border tensions but also jeopardises Cathay’s reputation as the city’s flag carrier, damaging Hong Kong’s reputation as an aviation hub. How does condemning one of our most important local brands help rebuild our tourism industry? Some politicians appear to care more about displaying their patriotism than doing the right thing for our city.

Our politicians’ overreaction only gives mainlanders the impression that Hong Kong is a racist, unwelcoming and unfriendly city. How does exaggerating our differences help Hong Kong’s integration into the nation’s development?

Let’s move on. Instead of pointing fingers, politicians and the government should tell our mainland guests that such behaviour is unacceptable but just an isolated case.

In addition, Cathay Pacific should provide better training, enhance staff welfare and improve its management to once again provide the high levels of customer care for which it has been renowned.

Christopher Ip, North Point

Misbehaviour of the ignorant few should not tar all

Racism has no place in society. Those who choose to belittle others belittle only themselves. Cathay Pacific has acted swiftly to defuse the tension created by the ignorance of the few, which should not outweigh the good of the many.

This applies equally to passengers who must respect cabin crew, ensuring they are treated with the courtesy their profession demands. They are there to ensure your safety, but they are not servants.

Mark Peaker, The Peak

Going digital is not necessarily progress

I refer to the letter suggesting that a switch to only a digital currency is not a good idea (“Who stands to benefit as digital currencies pick up steam?”, May 29). I agree with the writer there is no benefit for bank deposit holders. Probably only the banks benefit as they – inconveniently for their customers – shed branches and staff costs.

These days, we are regularly coerced into downloading apps onto our mobile phones to carry out transactions which previously worked quickly and effortlessly by using cash or with a swipe of an Octopus card or credit card.

Even the MoneyBack reward programme offered by a major retailing group, which used to let us accumulate points with a swipe of a plastic card, now requires us to fiddle with a phone to find the right app and wait for a scanning code to open.

I take a ferry to travel home from the Central district. Until recently, I could consult a small printed timetable held in my wallet and view the next ferry departure time in less than 10 seconds. Now I have to locate and open a phone app to find the timetable.

This is not progress as today’s IT-obsessed youngsters profess. Just take a look at most people sitting on MTR seats with their eyes glued to their phones, oblivious to what is going on around them. These same people endanger both themselves and others when riding on escalators with their eyes still glued to their phones.

We are being forcibly turned into phone zombies. Please stop this mobile phone digital world, I want to get off. There was nothing wrong with a piece of paper, a plastic card or a hundred-dollar note in my wallet.

P.A. Crush, Discovery Bay

No joy in the pursuit of an Octopus card upgrade

I have been trying to move the credit in my digital Elder Octopus card to the JoyYou card, which allows its holder to travel on certain public transport for HK$2 (US$0.25) per trip. My digital card on my iPhone contains cash and receives the government’s consumption vouchers.

The Octopus transfer machines at MTR stations accept only physical Elder Octopus cards. I approached the MTR staff for help but they could not make the transfer. I also tried in vain to cancel the bank auto top-up linked to the card.

At this point I discovered that if you get the voucher scheme transferred to the JoyYou card, it will invalidate the old Octopus card. By this time, my patience was at an end.

Some super smart MTR person can perhaps explain how this process works.

Ian Johnston, Discovery Bay

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