I am so happy to hear that the Antiquities Advisory Board is taking a new approach to heritage preservation, allowing the public to participate in the grading process for about 1,400 historic buildings and streets. This approach will really boost public awareness of our historical heritage and the need to preserve it. It will also encourage the public to speak up and contribute to the development of the community.
I am quite surprised about this change of direction because it is so different from the government's other policies. The government has long been blamed for not taking public opinion into consideration, but the advisory board has set a new precedent by agreeing to listen to the public first and set policy after.
This should ensure that policy has public support when it is implemented.
I hope other government departments can adopt this approach of working with the public, not against it.
Kevin Lam, Hang Seng School of Commerce
From the Editor