YOUNG PEOPLE need to start taking an active interest in Hong Kong politics, according to Liberal Party chairman James Tien Pei-chun.
The businessman cum politician said that, like him, few young people today were brought up to be interested in politics.
'Most young people were brought up in an age when Hong Kong was a colony simply governed by [Britain]. They sent a governor over and they set up a government so most young people were never involved in politics,' he said.
Mr Tien, a legislative councillor appointed to the commercial functional constituency, said the territory's new political situation, with 'Hong Kong people ruling Hong Kong', had created new responsibilities for young people.
'They have to be involved from now on. They have to be educated about their civic duties such as the right to vote. They should pay attention to what political parties say or what their own beliefs are, and how they think Hong Kong should govern itself over the next 30 years. When they grow up, Hong Kong will actually be their society,' he said.
Since 1997, Mr Tien's Liberal Party has itself been playing a new role. He said since Hong Kong returned to Chinese rule, 'other than defence and foreign policy, we have [had] to manage our own business'.
Thus, local political parties have had a much larger role to play. With the SAR's 'high degree of autonomy', Mr Tien said political parties have a chance to obtain power.