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SCMP Reporter

Q Do domestic helpers deserve permanent residency rights?

I would like to reply to the letter written by Moses Dharma on this issue.

In the two years my family and I have lived in Hong Kong we have seen the rights of domestic helpers  abused and disregarded by the authorities.

To many families, the domestic helper provides an essential service to parents who both need to work. My wife and I consider ourselves fortunate to have found a domestic helper we consider to be part of the family.

The attitude of Mr Dharma  is sadly all too apparent in Hong Kong. I would like to remind him that many of these domestic helpers have to leave family members behind and all too often their own children to try to raise money for what many people take for granted in Hong Kong.

Being nice to people is not the catalyst for abuse of a system. I tend to find that treating people with the respect they deserve has achieved a far greater trust and understanding with our helper.

Name and address supplied

I am  not in favour of such rights being granted.  Their visas are issued on a contract basis and, like student visas in Hong Kong and other countries, they should not be able to acquire permanent residency. This is a rule followed by all countries that issue student visas and all those that allow domestic helper imports. Our economy is bad enough as it is and our unemployment figures keep rising. Granting permanent residency rights to them would be the key to their resignation from their domestic duties and entering the broader job market, thereby making it more difficult for local graduates and bona fide citizens of Hong Kong to survive.

This would lead to a shortage of domestic helpers, with the need to import more, which would create more permanent residents. The salaries for office workers have dropped drastically as it is, and with the introduction of this new domestic force of labour into the mainstream it would affect it further as they would opt to work for even lower wages. Hong Kong's domestic helpers are very well cared for (albeit with a handful of cases of ill treatment).

The fact that Hong Kong allows such imports should not be taken for granted by them as they make a far better living here than in their own home countries. It's a clear case of giving someone a hand and realising in time that you would probably lose your whole arm in return. What will they think of next? Getting Chinese citizenship? Standing up for elections to become chief executive? W.Y. Sun, Mid-Levels

Q What is the best way to stop children smoking?

To discourage youths, and even adults, from smoking, it is essential for them to understand and be convinced that it is not cool, sophisticated or fashionable to smoke. They are foolishly playing with their lives.

People who smoke must be aware that they are risking their lives.  One way to help them out would be to organise regular group visits to hospitals caring for patients suffering from  diseases linked to smoking.

This may be done first as a voluntary exercise for teenagers  who seriously want to quit smoking. Shalu Jhamtani,  Tsim Sha Tsui East

Q Should the government be forced to stop filling in the harbour?

It is so sad that the government appears to be determined to fill in the harbour, so the news that work on the road bypass project has been suspended is welcome. The real traffic congestion problem is caused by the cross-harbour tunnel and it is hard to see how the proposed bypass could result in any improvement.

A better approach to traffic management in Central and Wan Chai would be to impose a congestion charge on users of the cross-harbour tunnel at peak hours. This would encourage drivers to stagger their journey times as well as encourage more  of them to use the under-utilised Western crossing, thereby relieving the traffic congestion on Gloucester Road.

Hong Kong doesn't need more roads or reclaimed land at the expense of the harbour, but it does need a government that is more responsible for Hong Kong's natural heritage. Name and address supplied

Looking at how the government has reclaimed the harbour, one can understand why some people cannot stop piling up debt on their credit cards - it is just too tempting when something  can seemingly 'solve' immediate problems!

The government is keen to have land that can be sold right away. This non-stop reclamation essentially reflects the administration's lack of solutions to deal with long-term population and economic growth.

Worse, it fails to see other the long-term effects: reclaiming the harbour rapidly drives down the value of properties on both sides of the harbour;  reducing  the size of the harbour makes Hong Kong a less attractive port.  Hong Kong's harbour views used to boast a wonderful blend of water, mountain and buildings. Now the shortest distance between the two sides of the harbour makes it look worse than the Shing Mun River. The  build up of the centre creates pressure on traffic and, more importantly, creates gaps in land and property prices.

Candy Leung, Shanghai



Is Hong Kong beating Singapore, Taiwan in attracting foreign domestic helpers?

Hong Kong employers’ group urges domestic helper wage freeze, cites poor economy

Groups seek 30% pay rise for Hong Kong domestic helpers to HK$6,500 a month

Labour chief defends worker import scheme despite Hongkongers' job loss claims

Foreign domestic workers in Hong Kong

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