No employer likes to have staff who are heavily in debt, because they are more likely to succumb to material temptations while trying to pay off those debts. In one instance, a data processor at a mobile phone company was found to have passed on clients' personal particulars to a debt-collection agency, which had been harassing her indebted husband.
If a lowly employee who was not even personally indebted could have caused such damage, one could imagine the much more serious consequences that could arise if a civil servant ran into financial difficulties. The scenario would be even worse if he or she were a member of a disciplined service. Indeed, there were examples of indebted Customs, immigration and police officers compromising their integrity in discharging their duties in exchange for bribes.
So police must take seriously the findings that 202 officers owed an average of $530,000 late last year. Some had apparently run up their debts because their 'prudent' investments turned into colossal losses in the financial crisis that hit East Asia between 1997 and 1999. These officers deserve our sympathy and help to restore their financial health, because they were hit by events beyond their control and were not reckless in managing their finances.
But some officers had got themselves into a mess because of their indulgence in gambling and other wasteful activities. Hauling them before a disciplinary tribunal, which could dismiss them for bringing the force into disrepute, would be the proper course of action, because the police cannot afford to harbour officers who may be a security risk.
Relative to the size of the 28,700-strong force, the number of indebted policemen remains small. But that is no excuse for the force's management to rest on its laurels. The same could be said for the other disciplined services and the civil service at large.
The SAR's civil servants are very well paid by local standards. They must be educated and encouraged to lead a healthy life, free of profligate habits that could plunge them into the abyss of debt.
