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SCMP Reporter

HSBC general manager Raymond Or Ching-fai has breached a golden rule of banking.

He did not maintain a poker face when asked a tricky question.

Mr Or showed emotion.

The occasion was a media session to explain Hong Kong's new credit reference agency for small businesses.

Not content with an afternoon of spin, one reporter strayed from the path. He asked Mr Or about the sharing of individuals' positive credit data - which in theory should be able to help banks become more prudent in issuing credit cards, rather than just throwing them at customers.

'I've got a question about the consumer credit database,' the reporter piped up. This was followed by an embarrassed pause and an even more uncomfortable, 'Sorry?'

'There's a rumour that HSBC was reluctant to contribute data to [a previous] database ... I just want to know whether it will be the same for this database?'

A pause. And then Mr Or smiled. Yes, he smiled.

He replied that the database would be launched in the third quarter of next year. And he mentioned something about 'wholehearted support'.

Somehow we doubt, however, that the wide grin that pre-empted the answer was one of sheer joy.

BEHIND THE LAW

Have you ever wondered about the men and women behind the robes and wigs of Hong Kong's judiciary?

Lai See considers it an invaluable insomnia tool.

But for those of you who have a genuine interest in the personalities of the bench (and presumably a lot of time on your hands), look no further than the government's news Web site.

Under the endearing heading of 'Judges are not superior,' you can find an interview with Mr Justice Woo Kwok-hing.

The introduction leads readers into an insightful interview.

Although some people may have an idea in their head that judges are superior, they are 'utterly wrong'. In fact, judges do not have a 'superiority complex' at all. But they can be quite 'self-centred', we are told.

Tsk, surely not? But Lai See does admire such modesty.

The article then really gets under Mr Justice Woo's skin. It strips him bare, exposing the real man behind the robe.

'How does a judge relax,' the interviewer probes? Mr Justice Woo watches television serials.

But, he admits, he doesn't like to work at all. 'I'm just like a primary or kindergarten student. If I do not have official duties, I like to idle,' he says.

Lai See believes Mr Justice Woo may also consider himself an amateur comedian. His signoff runs contrary to the true spirit of the law in Hong Kong: 'Money is not everything.'

CHAT SHOW

A summer associate at United States law firm Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom had a cringe-worthy experience recently.

An e-mail faux pas of disastrous propotions.

The  intern was casually composing one of those lazy afternoon e-mails to a friend, and happened to mention that he was 'busy doing jack-****' and had just finished a two-hour lunch, legal Web site Rollonfriday.com reports.

He also waxed lyrical about the joys of spending the rest of the day 'typing e-mails and bull****ing with people'.

So an average day at the office, then.

Sadly, the intern not only e-mailed it to said friend, he forwarded it to his supervising partners.

In all, it went to 40 senior people in his office.

Happy they were not.

Lai See doesn't fancy his chances for promotion. Honest lawyers are doomed to failure.

WEAPONS WIT

More on Iraq's ever-elusive weapons of mass destruction:

'This week President Bush insisted he is absolutely convinced that Saddam had a weapons programme. Of course he was absolutely convinced that he won the 2000 election, so I don't know.' - Jay Leno

'The United Nations has approved the removal of sanctions on Iraq. The lifting of the sanctions will let the Iraqis have a chance to have things they've never had before - like medicine and weapons of mass destruction.' - Conan O'Brien



Forced grin a cardinal sin for HSBC chief