CONCERN groups yesterday accused the Government of betraying the elderly and demanded an immediate implementation of the old age pension scheme.
In a march to Government House, about 30 protesters chanted slogans, saying it was shameful for the Government to retract on its promise to provide a safety net for the territory's ageing population.
They said officials were playing a numbers game when they said only 50 per cent of people in a consultation supported the scheme. The Government said last week that it was scrapping the scheme because of public opposition.
'Everyone knows that the scheme got 70 per cent support. It's an outright lie that they said there was not enough support,' said Ho Hei-wah, spokesman for the Joint Committee for the Right to Old Age Pension Scheme, which comprises 34 concern groups.
Lee Cheuk-yan, a representative of the Confederation of the Trade Unions, said the pretext that the scheme was stirring up controversy was 'particularly weak'.
'The Governor's reform package was controversial and so is the sewerage scheme, but still they got the go-ahead, why not the old age pension scheme?' Mr Lee said.
