talk back

THE E-MAIL FORUM

Q Do women workers receive fair treatment in Hong Kong?

I don't think that women are treated unfairly in the working environment of Hong Kong. Men are good at systematising, while women excel in sympathising. This is an unchangeable fact, correct? Nowadays, we must count not only fairness but also effectiveness and efficiency.

In reference to the case of the woman engineer who felt she had been discriminated against, actions speak louder than words.

Girls are physically weaker than boys. In a different industry, different requirements are needed. I am sure accountancy and law, which require a higher understanding and recognition of things, are more suitable for girls.

What companies demand are capable workers. We must try to fit into the harsh environment but not complain about the salary and treatment.

I believe that sensible employers judge a person by their capability but not gender.

Emily Lam, Tsing Yi

Q Should human rights take priority over hygiene?

I don't think human rights plays any part in hygiene control. I too have rights - to live in clean conditions.

The government is finally doing something positive and we, the public, should be supportive of the campaign and assist officials as much as possible. After all, the Team Clean campaign is for our benefit and for our well-being.

Name and address supplied

Q Do wet markets have a future in Hong Kong?

Wet markets are losing out to supermarkets among younger consumers because supermarkets offer a more hygienic and comfortable environment. This is more important than cheaper prices and presumed freshness of products.

The Consumer Council's privatisation plan for wet markets is a bad idea. Wet markets would become even more unattractive when control is given to private stall owners who would own the property as well.

To survive, wet markets have to improve on hygiene. Live birds and wet floors must go. Garbage disposal must be better managed.

John Yuan, Shanghai

Wet markets are an important part of our culture and a source of many jobs. There is a need to preserve them and make a future for them by improving hygiene and installing air-conditioners.

Though the improvement may take away the wet markets' character, they may guarantee their future. It is worth the sacrifice.

Besides, people of older generations still prefer to buy fresh food in wet markets. They are a place to meet neighbours and exchange cooking tips. There's a future for wet markets - only a few changes are required to make it possible.

Mandy Choy, North Point

A definite yes. I personally like to purchase my groceries from the wet market. Supermarkets are great if you are looking for imported goods, such as canned food or dried goods. But they can't compare to wet markets if you are buying fresh seafood and vegetables.

I find it exciting to frequent the seafood section of the wet markets. True, superstores also sell fresh food, but their fish are kept in overcrowded tanks, damaging the fish. I can get almost anything I want from the wet markets. I hope they will stay.

Karen Kwan, Sham Tseng

Q What do you think of Izzue's Nazi-themed fashion line?

Just like the Nazi concentration camp guards, the German Gestapo and the Nazi government leaders from World War II, Izzue's designers, senior managers and fashion consultants should be morally condemned.

Through their own ideas, actions and moral evasions, Izzue glorified one of history's cruelest regimes by promoting their line of depravity to impressionable young minds.

This kind of thinking is nihilism, which judges good and evil as equal. One only needs to see the number of products using the faces of ex-dictators, drug addicts and dead terrorists to see this disgusting philosophy in action.

The only fashion statement for Izzue should be the same that applies to the Holocaust: 'Never Forgive, Never Forget'. Their behaviour should not be tolerated.

Simon Patkin, Quarry Bay

If you recently bought a shirt with Nazi symbols at Izzue, be sure not wear it on your European vacation. Particularly not if your plane lands in Frankfurt. This is not a joke. In Germany, wearing Nazi regalia isn't just in poor taste, it's against the law.

I doubt a Hong Kong Chinese would be thrown into jail, but he or she would certainly be fined and thrown out of the country. Ignorance of the law isn't a defence in any jurisdiction, anywhere.

Roger Rensvold, Kowloon Tong