Protect unique qualities of Tung Chung I am writing about the possible enlargement of Tung Chung new town and nearby reclamation. One proposal has been to develop the eastern part of the town. Any development should ensure Tung Chung remains a liveable town. It must provide residents with all their daily needs but also be a place for Hong Kong people to be able to escape from urban stress during the weekend. This is preferable to it being developed as another place for business opportunities that could destroy its unique characteristics. Lantau Island is a special place. People from urban areas come here at weekends for a variety of activities such as hiking, cycling and relaxing on the beaches. It gives them the relaxation they need to deal with their busy schedules during the week. I would say it has unique characteristics. If these features are to remain intact, then I would suggest creating more opportunities for people to do sports and so enjoy their leisure time. That is better than creating a carbon copy of a business or shopping district. Tourists can already go to such places in Tsim Sha Tsui and Causeway Bay. If it became like that, with the same shops as Harbour City or Times Square, Tung Chung would lose the qualities that so appeal to residents and visitors alike. If more land is made available for such businesses, it would not necessarily bring more work to Tung Chung residents. There are many already developed business districts close to the new town where more jobs could be made available through redevelopment. If more facilities of the kind I have suggested are provided, this could help alleviate some of the social problems that exist in parts of Tung Chung, such as domestic violence and teenage delinquency. Families would hopefully spend some quality time together. There are many residents from minority groups who are on low incomes. They cannot afford the expensive transport costs to the city, but with a greater variety of entertainment on their doorstep, such as sports grounds and extensive cycling paths, they could enjoy themselves in and around the new town. The unique qualities of Tung Chung should not be destroyed. Cherry Tong Cheuk-ying, Tung Chung The hearing impaired need TV captions I refer to the report ("Lack of translator stalls sign-language talks", December 28), where it was mentioned that there were 9,000 deaf Hongkongers relying on sign language for communication. I do not have a precise figure of how many people in Hong Kong are classified as "deaf", and how many are "hearing impaired", that is, have difficulty comprehending conversations. However, I recall reading an article in a Chinese-language paper some years ago which put the figure of hearing impaired at well over 60,000 and it will be much more now. Most of these hearing impaired people suffered post-lingual deafness. They can speak and could study in schools for the able-hearing. They do not know sign language and do not need to sign to express themselves. They depend on reading lips. The sound from speakers of televisions, radios, microphones and hi-fi systems are distorted and hard to understand. Instant captions on live broadcasts are a standard option on TV sets in developed countries. Once the line is spoken, the captions appear about three to five seconds after. If a programme is being shown and it is not someone speaking, but it is describing a sound, such as a judge using his gavel [off camera] in televised trial in the US, this will also be indicated in captions in brackets. The technology came into being more than a quarter of a century ago. Yet no live broadcasts in Hong Kong (apart from the evening news on ATV and TVB), be it the latest on-site news, a debate between candidates vying to be chief executive, a beauty pageant, or an urgent government warning for the public, come with captions. And even the news has no captions for live on-site reporting. Hong Kong has a 100 per cent literacy rate. Not all hearing impaired people can understand sign language but all are capable of reading captions. How many more years do they have to wait so they can really understand what is going on when watching TV? On top of the complaint filed by the deaf Hongkongers of not having sign language in live broadcasts, the Equal Opportunities Commission should also look into the lack of captions. Evelyn A. Mercedes, Mid-Levels It's right to use surplus to care for the sick The government has proposed a subsidy of HK$7,200 to people with long-term illnesses so that they can use private care services and buy medical insurance. This scheme will cost HK$4.3 billion, but will benefit people with chronic conditions and enhance the government's image. There have been complaints that the administration has been reluctant to use its huge surplus or that when it has spent, it has not done so wisely. This will be widely seen as a sensible measure and welcomed. It is a prudent use of funds from the surplus and I am sure most citizens will approve of it. People with chronic conditions face substantial medical bills, because they need so much treatment and medication and yet they still have to have enough to provide for their families. They face a long-term financial burden and this subsidy will make a real difference to their lives. Of course, as with all financial aid schemes, including Comprehensive Social Security Assistance, there will always be dishonest claimants. Officials will have to be vigilant and crack down on any abuses. Lee Hiu-ching, Tseung Kwan O Police Day could boost force's morale Hong Kong remains one of the safest cities in the world thanks to the efforts of the Hong Kong Police Force. The significance of its work is generally recognised by the public. The work officers do is often dangerous and can sometimes result in injury or even death. Citizens and tourists can feel safe thanks to the force. It protects our lives and safeguards our property. We have a Teachers' Day and International Nurses Day in Hong Kong. The government should also establish a Police Day. This could help to boost the morale of officers. Kwok Tak-ming, Wong Tai Sin We would all benefit from new vet school I refer to the report ("Plan to set up Hong Kong's first vet school fails to gain funding body's support", January 13). City University has not been able to get the required funding to establish Hong Kong's first publicly funded veterinarian school. Over the past decade, with more people having a larger disposable income, we have seen the number of pets in the city growing. Owners want to ensure their animals' well-being and have them examined and given the necessary vaccinations. Therefore, the demand for vets has increased. However, because there is no school, people who want to do an undergraduate degree have to enrol at a university overseas. If the school had been established they could have stayed in Hong Kong and this would have reduced the substantial financial burden they face studying abroad. I also think that having a vet school here would have helped with an ongoing education campaign to raise awareness about animal cruelty. Cases of abuse are increasing and if we had more experts in this field on hand, it might help to curb this rising trend. However, there will be no funding for such a school until there is a change of government policy. I am not saying that City University had a convincing case, but hopefully we will eventually see such a school being established. Kiki Cho Hoi-ki, Tsuen Wan Tycoons must help narrow income gap A UN report [in 2009] said the income gap between the rich and poor in Hong Kong was the widest among the world's wealthiest economies. As an ordinary student, it saddens me to see the underprivileged being marginalised and I know there is little I can do to give them a helping hand. Although many of them work hard, they earn little for their efforts and it is extremely difficult for them to change their circumstances. Children from low-income families are at a disadvantage and often find they are less competitive than children who are from financially better-off backgrounds. They cannot afford to pay for extracurricular activities and may not acquire the knowledge they need to escape the poverty their parents endured. Hong Kong's tycoons have to accept some responsibility for this state of affairs. They seldom see any reason to improve the conditions of the lowest-paid staff in their companies. Instead of exploiting these low-paid workers they should be thinking about what they can do to narrow the income gap in Hong Kong. Paul Yeung, Tai Wai
