Civil servants have a heavy burden to shoulder. They have a vital role to play in society and with that comes equally heavy responsibilities. Among a long list are ensuring fair and transparent governance, being trustworthy and credible, making sure the community gets value for money and improving the administration's operations and accountability. Such skills do not come easily or cheaply. They are attributes that any company would pay handsomely for.
It is hardly surprising, then, that when top government workers retire and take their pensions, the private sector often has its arms open wide with lucrative offers. There is nothing wrong with maximising income and taking such jobs, but it is also comforting to know that there are civil servants who still want to devote their time and energies to improving Hong Kong beyond the retirement age of 60.
More than anyone else, they know the government's strengths and weaknesses. They know instinctively when an administration is not doing its best or living up to its pledge to work fairly and honestly for the community it serves.
We are fortunate that there are a good number of such people among us. They are trying to ensure that parts of our city like Government Hill remain tranquil places for public use rather than get turned over to private developers to build more shops and offices. Some are lobbying for an archive law to protect historic documents from being destroyed or lost. Others are pressuring to keep green and environmentally sensitive places like southern Lantau Island relatively free from development. Or they are fighting the Education Department's campaign to cut school classes. There are any number of causes.
The work is being taken on by such people with determination and passion. It is being done gratis - the only reward will be achieving a worthy goal. But as much as this may be a personal triumph, all of Hong Kong will benefit. Putting Hong Kong first is what being civic-minded is truly about.