Accused guard rejects disability row regret
An elderly security guard who allegedly abused a disabled colleague said yesterday he knew nothing about the contents of an apology published in his name in two newspapers.
It was the first time the Equal Opportunities Commission had negotiated a public notice as compensation for discrimination.
Alleged victim Liu Sai-ling said he was pleased to see the advertisements in the Oriental Daily News and Tin Tin Daily News yesterday.
But Lau Ming, whose name appears as the perpetrator, said he had not written the apology or read it before publication.
Mr Liu, 55, and Mr Lau, 61, clashed on February 9 when both were working for Hong Kong Security Guarding Services at Sau Mau Ping Estate, Kwun Tong.
Mr Liu, who has suffered depression and has one leg shorter than the other following an accident, complained Mr Lau pushed, insulted and slandered him.
'He used both hands to push my shoulders. He humiliated me with foul language and he called me 'cripple',' Mr Liu, who took his case to the commission five months ago, said.
'He said I was no use to the company because I walked slowly. He said the company should have never hired me.' But Mr Lau said: 'I never did that. I have great respect for disabled people.' He only agreed to the public apology as 'a favour' to his former employer, he said.
'They got me to sign the document. I signed it without reading it. They wrote the apology note, I didn't.' Mr Lau said he paid $1,000 and the company paid $10,000 for the advertisement's three-day run.
A company spokesman denied any financial responsibility related to the dispute.
The general secretary of the Hong Kong Physically Handicapped and Able Bodied Association, Pauline Tong Fung-kwan, praised Mr Liu's 'courage'.
A spokesman for the Equal Opportunities Commission said the settlement was negotiated between the two parties.
The commission has handled 53 disability discrimination cases in the past 10 months.
