Anson Chan Fang On-sang wrapped up her 38-year civil service career yesterday with her first radio broadcast to the people of Hong Kong, urging them to uphold the values that had made the territory great, while showing compassion to the underprivileged.
'The tradition of a tolerant, cosmopolitan, internationally oriented and broad-minded society is a valuable part of our curious legacy,' she said.
'So are our deeply entrenched institutions of a free society: the rule of law, an independent judiciary, a free press, a clean and accountable government and a civil service grounded in the traditions of meritocracy and political neutrality.' Her pre-recorded message, delivered in English on RTHK's Letter to Hong Kong, was broadcast a day earlier than usual to coincide with her Chinese swansong in Hong Kong Letter.
Mrs Chan said that ever since she announced her decision to retire as Chief Secretary for Administration 15 weeks ago, she had been thinking about what it is that made Hong Kong tick.
She said Hong Kong's success had given people the confidence to believe they could always make things better.
But she added: 'In the past few years I have detected signs of a wobble, even among some of the most stout-hearted.' She put this down to the economic downturn of 1997.