Opinion | Pro-government heavyweights lacking in political acumen
Albert Cheng says public-office holders, like DAB vice-chairwoman and the justice secretary, must be whiter than white in their conduct
People who hold public office wield influence in society in whatever they say or do. In today's Hong Kong, where our political system has failed to match the pace of public opinion, it's only natural that the behaviour of our politicians should come under the spotlight.
Two recent news items have highlighted the lack of political alertness among pro-government politicians.
In September, a City University team publicised the findings of its study of different brands of turtle jelly, which found that the samples from local herbal chain store Hoi Tin Tong contained very little or no turtle shell.
The company, whose sales have taken a beating after the City University report was publicised and an unrelated accusation surfaced that it had compromised food safety, hired a biotechnology company to conduct tests to prove that its jelly contained turtle. Announcing the results in October, it said the City University study was "not well-rounded".
Later that month, Hong Kong customs officials directed to examine the claim also reported that they had found turtle DNA in Hoi Tin Tong products.
This apparently was the reason Starry Lee Wai-king, a member of the legislative and executive councils, and a vice-chairwoman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, raised a question in Legco late last month, standing up for Hoi Tin Tong.