One of China's most celebrated literary characters, Ah Q, is alive and kicking in Hong Kong, living among our government officials. Ah Q is a fictional character made famous by the 'father of modern Chinese literature', Lu Xun, in The True Story of Ah Q. Lu created this uneducated odd-job labourer to challenge people's passive tendencies and the human inclination to avoid taking responsibility.
Lu used the letter Q, resembling a head with a queue, to represent the outdated China of the early 20th century that he was so eager to satirise. The delusional Ah Q stumbles through life and is frequently humiliated, but somehow manages to survive by transforming each defeat into a victory in his own mind. In the world of Ah Q, he never makes mistakes, and every blunder becomes a spiritual victory, leaving him happy and contented.
He transcends time and culture, and his individuality is most evident in the top echelons of this government. Our local brand of Ah Q-ism was on display as officials tried to put on a brave face to conceal the fact that the Harbour Fest was not achieving its anticipated ticket sales. Mike Rowse, head of InvestHK, is the embodiment of Ah Q in modern-day Hong Kong, as the public can never rationalise his actions. When it was obvious that the Fest was running into trouble, Mr Rowse came up with statements that everyone could see were unrealistic. He has the same survival mechanism as Ah Q. Is this optimism or obliquity? Whichever, he certainly gives Ah Q-ism a whole new meaning.
Then, there is Michael Suen Ming-yeung, Secretary for Housing, Planning and Lands, who has Ah Q's ability to avoid giving any thought to the consequences of his actions, and defy public opinion. Mr Suen insists the government understands public opinion, abides by the law and respects the rulings of the courts, but, still acts against these principles by continuing with the controversial harbour reclamation. Maybe Mr Suen should be reminded that in the world of Ah Q, this kind of reckless behaviour always brings the risk of being banished by the community.
Another person who personifies Ah Q - albeit one who is not in government - is Equal Opportunities Commission chief Michael Wong Kin-chow. Mr Wong seemed to be under the delusion that he had the full backing of his board members over the sacking of a senior EOC officer. When several came forward to deny this, Mr Wong's Ah Q-ism went into overdrive. He called the members liars and maintained everyone else was wrong. I wonder if Mr Wong should also take up Ah Q's famous face-slapping mannerism when consumed by fury, as a way of convincing himself that he has triumphed over his enemies.
Hong Kong's government epitomises Ah Q-ism in the extreme, with many top officials seemingly lacking personal values, individual thought and interaction with the real world. Ah Q may be fictitious, but he symbolises human nature and represents the general weaknesses that exist within us all.