Lai See | PetroChina listing means we are still 'bigger' than Singapore

Oil and gas companies seeking a presence in the Asia-Pacific region prefer to list their stocks on the Singapore Exchange rather than on the Hong Kong stock exchange, according to Alastair Macaulay, a partner at global law firm Clifford Chance.

Speaking to the Business Times, he said Singapore was preferred because it was more of an international hub compared to Hong Kong, which is more China-focused. So is this yet another "threat" Hong Kong should be concerned about?

It is true that Singapore has recently drafted new oil and gas listing rules and regulations and appears to be trying to attract oil and gas companies. But before throwing up our hands in despair, it is worth remembering that Hong Kong does have the world's largest producer of oil listed here in PetroChina. The company produced more liquids last year than Exxon - so we are still "bigger" than Singapore.

The Civil Service Bureau says it has received about 75,000 applications for civil service vacancies, according to Apple Daily. Some 17,000 of them were vying for the post of administrative officer. However, because only 35 such posts are available this year, that means 485 applicants are competing for one position - the largest number of applicants for the post since 2005.