Kwong Wo-kit, 58, says the government's climbdown from its no-pet policy in public housing is a slap in the face for officials who constantly dismiss public opinion. Ride from Quarry Bay to Sai Ying Pun. Cost: $73.80.
This government is so arrogant that it always presumes it knows everything and what's best for the people. I think officials know nothing about public sentiment and have no idea what goes on outside of their little circle. Look at the pet-ban policy at public estates and you will see what kind of mess the government has created.
To begin with, it has done a lousy job over the years in enforcing this pet ban. Although pet-keeping has always been illegal at public housing, officials have allowed this practice to carry on until recently when they suddenly decided that pets are pests. Their decision is not logical. It is a knee-jerk reaction to Sars, so that officials can be seen doing something to clean up Hong Kong. If they have tolerated and, to a certain extent, encouraged this to continue for so long, they are also guilty of condoning an illegal practice. So who is going to punish the government?
The public shouldn't be penalised for the government's mistakes. If the government failed to enforce the law in the first place, I think it will have great difficulties enforcing it a second time round. So, maybe the government has finally realised it would be much better off to suffer a little bit of embarrassment now by reaching a compromise and allow some flexibility for tenants to keep their pets than to push ahead with a total ban.
I live in a small public housing flat, and there are five of us plus our lovely cat. We have had her for years. There is no way I will give my cat up. People who don't keep pets do not really understand how much joy animals can bring to a family - especially in this stressful Hong Kong environment.
The government's earlier thinking about getting rid of pets as a way to improve environmental hygiene was not only presumptuous but also extremely naive and biased. Officials were assuming that all pet owners at public housing were dirty and irresponsible and did not take care of their pets properly.
