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Letters

Taiwan a good prospect for HK students
I would like to echo what was said in the report ("Taiwan on the rise as education destination", March 3).
As a Taiwanese graduate of vocational and technical colleges, I have to say Taiwan offers a high-quality and well-structured education environment. I hope especially that technical universities can appeal to overseas students and enhance their brands at home and abroad.
Taiwan's vocational education system aims to cultivate students' strengths and develop different educational features so that students with varying talents can find a learning environment that suits them.
Technology universities and industry have joined forces to devise educational programmes catered to practical needs. A major adjustment in courses to bring school curriculums fully in line with employers' demands, along with help from industry in improving school facilities, will be a step in the next direction of Taiwan's vocational schooling.
Increased involvement of business personnel in technical school teaching can effectively introduce the latest business techniques and give students an early introduction to the workplace ethos, besides boosting the specialised knowledge of technical school teachers.
Emerging 21st century trends within higher education show that greater numbers of international students are taking advantage of their educational mobility opportunities. Students from Hong Kong have become a more important focus than ever before, especially in the areas of technical education.
Since Taiwan's education standards and institutions of higher education are among the leading institutions of the world, Taiwan has become one important option as an educational gateway for Hong Kong students.
Sam Hui, Kowloon City
 
Public must act responsibly on MTR trains
I am writing in response to Doug Miller's letter ("Bicycles on MTR trains unacceptable", March 3).
There is no doubt it is annoying to have large objects like bicycles and baggage blocking the entrance of the carriage. Living in Hong Kong, the mass transit system is an essential form of transport for most citizens. Hongkongers rely on convenient transport to get to work. The mass transit system is an integral part of our daily lives.
Therefore I can understand that the reaction of most passengers would be hostile if they saw a bicycle at the entrance of a crowded train that they were trying to board, especially during the rush hour. These kinds of obstructions would increase the chance of quarrels over lack of space and of injury to passengers.
To prevent such incidents, the MTR should introduce appropriate measures. For example, special carriages could be provided for people carrying large luggage. Also, more people could be hired to help monitor the situation on the platform.
Passengers should always avoid confrontation when travelling on the MTR and show restraint even when faced with difficulties.
Kenneth Chan Yu-hin, Sai Kung
 
Wild boar digging could cause landslide
During my walks on Braemar Hill and Victoria Peak Garden I have noticed the increasing amount of damage caused by wild boar.
On Braemar Hill they burrow into the side of the hill beside the path. Come the rainy season this may cause minor landslides to occur.
A few weeks ago I noticed damage to the lawns at Victoria Peak Garden. The area was cordoned off but no remedial work had been undertaken.
Unfortunately the pigs were unaware of the significance of the tape and bollards and have returned, causing yet more damage.
One morning last month the marks of their foraging were visible across many of the lawns of this beautiful garden.
Judging from the increasing incidences of damage at these locations it would appear that the numbers of wild boar must be rising exponentially.
Does the government have any plans to deal with this?
I would write directly to the government but I don't want to get involved in the departmental pass-the-parcel that would ensue.
Gareth Jones, Sheung Wan
 
Euthanasia should be a human right
Imagine that you were permanently paralysed due to a car accident in your early 20s.
In the following decades, without any hope of recovery, your friends left you and your family died before you.
You are now left alone in hospital, lying in bed waiting for the final relief. What now, is the meaning of life?
When simple tasks like eating and drinking cannot be done without help, life becomes an imprisonment.
Others may encourage you to think positively, but you know that they treat you as an object of pity but not an independent, free person.
What we call "living" should be far more than the mere existence of the human body.
Although birth is beyond our control, we should possess the right to die with dignity.
We should not deny those permanently paralysed or with terminal diseases the opportunity to make a quiet and dignified retreat. It is easy to list the obstacles to legalising euthanasia and the moral debates that it creates in society.
My view is that cruelty is anything that causes unnecessary suffering.
If we recognise that euthanasia is a basic human right, all the obstacles to legalisation should not be excuses for procrastination. Based on this understanding, stakeholders should engage in consultation and negotiations to further the legalisation of euthanasia.
Patrick Cheng, Tai Po
 
Street protests damage HK's reputation
Nobody can deny that Hong Kong since the handover has enjoyed freedom and democracy. Almost daily street protests and parades approved by police - mostly politically motivated - are self-explanatory.
Such an abnormal phenomenon is far from constructive and will do more harm than good to the Hong Kong SAR.
It is hoped that parties and the business community wake up to such a reality and take a more pragmatic approach before it is too late.
Peter Wei, Kwun Tong
 
Waive salaries tax for city's low earners
A tax system with no indexation really hurts the grass roots.
This can be easily seen from the fact that the percentage of taxpayers in the working population increased from 36 per cent in the fiscal year 2002/03 to 45 per cent in 2011/12.
The reason for the increase is that the basic tax allowance was kept unchanged in all those years. The additional 9 per cent were caught in the tax net because of inflation - which also eroded the income of these low earners.
Why can't we just leave them alone and let them have some breathing space?
People who make less than HK$200,000 a year contribute only a small fraction of total salaries tax. It would be a small price to pay if these people, almost half a million of them, were exempt from salaries tax.
A. Y. T. Wong, Tsim Sha Tsui


Letters to the Editor, March 16, 2014

Wild boars can do a lot of damage. Photo: Dickson Lee

Taiwan on the rise as education destination

Taiwan's Lee Chee-man and Peter Sheu. Photo: Edward Wong

Letters to the Editor, March 3, 2014

Kaizer Lau's suggestion is not practical. Photo: Nora Tam

Opinion

I would like to echo what was said in the report ("Taiwan on the rise as education destination", March 3). As a Taiwanese graduate of vocational and technical colleges, I have to say Taiwan offers a high-quality and well-structured education environment. I hope especially that technical universities can appeal to overseas students and enhance their brands at home and abroad.
