Donald ducks the defensive role If Martin Lee Chu-ming were a football manager he would no doubt be espousing the Dutch 'total football' ethic where even strikers are expected to play in defence every now and then. Mr Lee invoked a soccer analogy when Chief Secretary Henry Tang Ying-yen, explaining why Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen had not taken questions from lawmakers or the media about his political reform report to Beijing, said that as the officials were all in one team, it did not matter which bureau head answered for the administration. 'Mr Tang obviously has not been watching football games recently,' the veteran democrat observed. 'In the modern game, even strikers have to come back and defend. Or is the CE one of those who only want to score and aren't willing to defend?' Mr Tang doubtless thought he had deflected that one over the bar when he retorted: 'It would also be unreasonable to ask the striker to be the goalkeeper.' But Mr Lee corrected him: '[The chief executive] cannot play goalkeeper, because as an outfielder, he is not allowed to play in goal. But strikers should still come back and defend the corners.'That wouldn't have been possible, fellow Democrat Lee Wing-tat observed wickedly, because 'Mr Tsang was already back in the team dressing room having his shower'. It's no jolly Ho, Ho, Ho for Edmund As the universal suffrage debate continues to light heat up the Christmas season in Hong Kong, people in Macau are gearing up for a pro-democracy rally today - the eighth anniversary of the handover - fuelled by discontent over social injustice and graft. The latest edition of the satirical Concealing Daily, a publication mocking a pro-government newspaper, has front-page reports ridiculing Chief Executive Edmund Ho Hau-wah and disgraced former works minister Ao Man-long. Lawmakers fear being taken for ride The embattled Ngong Ping 360 cable car will undergo a trial run on Saturday, but not all legislators seem enthusiastic about participating. Liberal Party and Tourism Board chairman James Tien Pei-chun said he would take the ride, but only if he could share a car with Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Frederick Ma Si-hang. 'The first car should be 100 per cent safe,' he said. Party colleague Jeffrey Lam Kin-fung, who chairs the Legislative Council's panel on economic development, will join him. Fred Li Wah-ming, of the Democratic Party, said he would like to test whether the cables could support heavy guys like him. Broadcaster with something to shout about RTHK has been wrong-footed by the government's delay until next month of a consultation paper on public service broadcasting. Amid fears it will be killed off, the troubled broadcaster is organising a forum on Saturday to drum up public support to counter any adverse proposals that may arise from the paper. Leaders at Broadcast Drive are now worried that the forum, at the Central Library, will not have any concrete proposals to discuss.
