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SCMP Reporter

THE E-MAIL FORUM

Q Is it too risky to transport toxic waste through Hong Kong?

Do Donald and Mickey worry about the government's plan to burn 100 tonnes of dioxin-contaminated mud (taken from the Disney site) right in the heart of residential Hong Kong? Where is the logic? Where is the public care?

Officials may claim the burning process poses no hazard to the population,  but the answer from Clear The Air (www.ClearTheAir. org.hk) is simple: the government should show, in real time on the internet, the emission figures of the incineration carried out and as reported by an independent panel of experts.

The public has the right to know what goes into the atmosphere. Short of this, incineration should not return to Hong Kong for whatever purpose.

Christian Masset, Western

Q Should ESF parents give Mike Haynes a chance to prove himself?

I am amazed at how easy it is to start a witch-hunt these days and turn it into something that resembles a real cause.

At a time when the ESF badly needs some show of solidarity and strength, we seem to be doing all we can possibly do to achieve just the opposite. And for what? Because the new chief executive officer does not have a university degree? Or because his background is in insurance? Come on! I find it extremely arrogant that in this day and age we feel we have the right to judge a person's abilities on the basis of his or her university degree or lack of it.

Saying that successful businessmen who have no degrees are 'ruthless in their dealings' (as one of your Talkback correspondents puts it) is an incredibly sweeping, naive and arrogant statement. What is even more arrogant is the statement that all a successful businessman needs to know is 'the sum of two plus two'.

And as if that weren't enough, it gets even more ridiculous when the issue then turns into a racial protest.

I say give Mr Haynes a chance.

When the time comes to negotiate government subsidies once again, I think we will need someone whose knowledge goes past the sum of two plus two. We will need someone who will look after the best interests of the students, teachers and parents.

We will need someone who understands the issues, not just from a business angle, but from a parent's viewpoint also. We will need someone who understands the ESF by actually having been in the centre of it for years.

Who has the right to conclude that an insurance man without a university degree isn't capable of doing any of these?

I have had the opportunity to work with Mr  Haynes in a school setting, and from what I've seen, he is an honest, hard-working man who has his eye firmly on the ball. I have no doubt he will look after the best interests of the schools and the students.

Last, when it comes time to negotiate government subsidies again, I believe we need someone who will not buckle when things get difficult. Something tells me that if Mr Haynes can take all of this and not back down, then it seems to me we may have the right man for the job!

Pie Wilken, Tai Tam

Mr Haynes has already proven  that he lacks the judgment necessary to be the ESF chief executive. If your article of February 4 is accurate, then Mr Haynes:

1) Submitted his own application for a search process in which he had a vote;

2) Failed to resign immediately from that voting position and allow the joint council of Parent Teacher Associations to select a new chair;

3) Helped find a parent representative to conduct the interviews, including his own, instead of removing himself from that process completely; and

4) Continued to chair the association meeting on February 3, after his preliminary appointment was announced and was known to be controversial.

In my opinion, Mr Haynes has proven that he lacks a basic knowledge of what is appropriate, fair and ethical in such circumstances. He has proven to me beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is not the person I want responsible for my child's educational foundation.

Name and address supplied

In his recent letter to staff, Mr Haynes described his career in insurance in one paragraph, his involvement with the ESF in another and then felt it necessary to devote six paragraphs to justifying the legitimacy of the application process.

This is not a good start. It would have been more convincing if he had been able to offer some new thinking on the teachers' pay dispute or even a hint of leadership on the current debate about the relative merits of the International Baccalaureate or A levels.

Mr Haynes had more to say about colts rugby than he did about his vision for the ESF. I feel he must withdraw.

Paul Richards, Sha Tin

Everyone deserves a chance to prove himself, but it seems that the ESF is not the right stage for Mike Haynes. The ESF is an educational foundation rather than a business firm. Will this be too difficult for Mr Haynes to handle?

It is not easy to become the chief executive of an educational organisation. Both good educational qualifications and relative experience are important for it, especially to make crucial decisions. The aim of such an organisation is not only to make a profit or break even, but to contribute to education affairs in Hong Kong.

However, Mr Haynes has neither suitable qualifications nor relative experience. He does not even have a university degree and has not worked in an educational organisation before.

If he becomes the chief executive, his subordinates will question his ability to be in the position and tend not to co-operate with him. Moreover, he may not be familiar with the actual needs of their 'customers' and make decisions only to the benefit of the ESF.

Yeung Chun Wing, Tsuen Wan

On other matters ...

With reference to Paul Harrison's message in the February 6 Talkback column, it is not correct to suggest that in a British newspaper supplement the Hong Kong Tourism Board is 'advertising shark's fin as an attraction to be enjoyed here'.

While we are aware that some people object to the consumption of shark's fin, we also have to recognise that it remains a legal and popular product in Hong Kong. Therefore, our position has always been that we neither advocate nor discriminate against shark's fin; we simply make the relevant information available for visitors to make their own choice.

The specific article to which Mr Harrison appears to be referring is one featuring the range of different cuisines available in Hong Kong. In a paragraph about chiu chow cuisine, it notes that shark's fin is one of its most famous specialities. This is a matter of fact.

I hope this clarifies the situation.

Bonnie Ngan, Public Relations General Manager, Hong Kong Tourism Board

I am writing in response to the article in the School Days column in the Education section on January 31. The article talks about how Paul Capsis, who is now a cabaret performer and impressionist, was abused and bullied by his schoolmates. After reading this, I realised how serious the problem of bullying in schools is.

A lot of bullied children cannot find the solution to the problem as they dare not seek help. So I think both schools and family should be responsible for protecting children from bullying, as they are the only people children can put their trust in and who control the situation. Parents should comfort the children and help them instead of just leaving the problem aside.

Schools play an important role as they need to establish a fair and gentle atmosphere in schools. It is worth doing for the sake of children.

Yeung Pik-yee, Shamshuipo

Transport improvements from Tung Chung to the monastery in Ngong Ping seem to be governed by two different environmental standards, depending on which side of the same hill you stand.

In North Lantau country park the Mass Transit Railway Corporation is treading delicately in its  construction of the cable car, airlifting in the towers and carefully minimising their footprint.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the hill, the Highways Department is preparing to build a  road straight through the middle of South Lantau country park, taking out all measure of flora and fauna and crossing untold streams as it razes 3km of virgin terrain.

Both projects come to the same effect: to facilitate getting more and more people up to the Big Buddha. What is going on?

Nick Shaw, Lantau

Right in the heart of our city our public parks are being concreted over but little is being said.

I refer in particular to the parks in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Despite the fact that the press releases and the one mail drop issued by the Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation regarding the building of the East Rail extension to Tsim Sha Tsui East clearly state that the new station would be underground and the Wing On Plaza Garden and Middle Road children's playground would be reinstated,  it is now quite evident that this is not the case.

A large, high concrete block is being erected on the Wing On Plaza Garden, blocking the harbour view and sea breezes, and the playground is going to be placed on a high podium with a smaller footprint. In addition, the sitting out area at Peking Road has been reduced to a concrete corridor and Kowloon Park is now the back garden of the Victoria Towers complex. The trees surrounding the Marine Headquarters will soon disappear.

There is clearly an urgent need for legislation to protect our parks.

Name and address supplied



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