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Letters

Crackdown on illegal guest houses needed
The large number of illegal guest houses has been a problem in Hong Kong for a number of years.
One study estimates that three in four of the 2,800 guest houses in the city operate without the necessary licence.
Most of them are apparently in Yau Tsim Mong district.
I can understand why they attract a lot of tourists, as they are affordable. Also, poor land-use planning has meant that there are not enough hotel rooms to meet the rising demand from an increased number of tourists.
If visitors cannot find a hotel they will opt for an illegal guest house.
Clearly, there is a need for better land-use planning. But the government must also crack down on these unauthorised businesses, because they create so many problems for other tenants.
Many do not have proper fire safety equipment and therefore pose a risk to residents in the buildings where they are situated and also to their guests.
These places can be overcrowded, as they are trying to fit in so many guests, and this could lead to even more casualties if there was a fire.
Also, they take up space that could provide flats for local people. This makes the housing shortage in Hong Kong even more severe.
While some of the guest houses, despite being unauthorised, are clean and tidy, others are filthy.
Tourists will feel they have been misled by what they read on the internet and they will leave feeling cheated and disappointed in Hong Kong.
This can damage the city's reputation and put some people off visiting and others off returning.
The situation will not improve unless the government acts with an effective crackdown.
Fines for those found guilty of operating these businesses are low. Few custodial sentences have been handed down.
The government must enforce the law and it must give the courts greater powers to increase fines and, where necessary, impose jail terms.
Li Cheuk-yan, Sha Tin
 
Mooncake packaging adds to waste
Every year, in the run-up to the Mid-Autumn Festival, green groups urge people to try to be less wasteful. These campaigns do seem to be working, because less waste is being generated.
It is good if more Hongkongers are environmentally conscious and we do not see so many discarded mooncakes, mooncake boxes and wrapping paper in our landfills, but trying to be environmentally friendly should be a constant state of mind for all of us.
Even though the government plans to build an incinerator and extend the landfills, these sites are already close to capacity and will reach it at a faster rate if we keep producing so much waste.
We all need to think more about recycling and, where possible, reusing.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is particularly bad because so many companies are trying to make their products more attractive with more elaborate wrapping and packaging.
These firms need to take a greener approach and have simpler packaging and wrapping for their products.
The designs can still be attractive and they can make it plain to consumers they are doing this to protect the environment. This could actually help their profits.
Vanessa Lau Chui-ying, Kowloon Tong
 
Educate public on use of recycling bins
The government is now providing more recycling bins throughout Hong Kong and you can see them all around the city.
They are easy to spot in most residential areas and are part of the government's efforts to reduce volumes of municipal solid waste. However, is it enough just to provide more bins?
Having them in more locations is obviously a positive move, but it does not automatically follow that citizens have a heightened awareness of the need to recycle.
When I walk around public housing estates, I see lots of these bins, but they are often overflowing with ordinary rubbish unrelated to the specified purpose, for example, paper or plastic recycling.
I have also noticed that a lot of the covers on the bins are broken. Some of the bins smell bad and there are a lot of insects.
In short, increasing recycling bins is good, but it must be accompanied with increased public awareness about the importance of recycling.
The government needs to have more public promotions. More information explaining recycling should be made available through adverts and announcements on the internet and television so that people know what can and cannot be recycled.
People also have to know how to prepare material before putting it in recycling bins. For example, drinks cans should be washed.
The government also needs to assign staff to carry out regular checks of bins so that they are kept clean and in good condition.
I hope that, in the future, Hongkongers will make greater use of recycling bins and use them in the proper way.
Lai Chun-wing, Tseung Kwan O
 
D100 decision over radio host justified
We write in reply to Michael Chugani's Public Eye column ("Two radio hosts fired: two very different reactions", August 20), in which he lambasted D100 for allegedly sacking Eric Ng Ka-lim.
Mr Ng was never sacked, as he was never an employee of D100. He cooperated with the station as a content provider.
After discussion, the two parties agreed to end that co-operation.
Like Chugani, the Hong Kong Journalists Association jumped to hasty conclusions without first verifying the facts with us. We urged the association to retract its statement and apologise and we ask Chugani to do the same.
Contrary to a claim in the Chinese-language press, D100 is not a licensed broadcaster. So, unlike Commercial Radio to which Chugani referred, D100 does not use any public resources and is, therefore, not obliged to operate under the same regulations.
D100's motto is, "Speak the truth, do justice and show mercy to all". We do not pander to the rich and powerful.
We consider the anti-Occupy Central march, in which Mr Ng acted as master of ceremonies, a deceptive move to strip Hongkongers of their rights to genuine democracy.
At D100, we do not see our work as merely a job, but as a mission.
Mr Ng went down a separate path when he opted to become involved in the march and D100 could not tolerate this. We stand by our decision and have no reason to apologise.
Albert Cheng and Morris Ho, co-founders, D100
 
Cantonese use must be preserved
Cantonese is very important to all Hongkongers. It is one of the SAR's official languages.
It is an integral part of the civilisation of ancient China.
Harvard University runs a course in [advanced conversational] Cantonese.
It is more difficult to learn to speak than Putonghua, given that it has more tones.
I think people learning Chinese would be advised to learn Cantonese. It will give them a better command of the language.
For all these reasons, it is clear that Cantonese is still viable now and in the future.
It can also increase people's sense of belonging to Hong Kong and is part of the city's unique culture.
We should cherish this language and ensure that it is preserved for future generations to learn.
Kathy Au Yeung, Wong Tai Sin 
 
Subsidise tree checks on private land
The death last month of a pregnant woman, when a tree fell on her in Mid-Levels, raised once again the issue of tree safety in Hong Kong.
There are so many trees in the city and this is something to be welcomed, as it makes for a greener environment.
But some of them were planted decades ago and may be diseased and therefore pose a threat to passers-by.
There are no rules about inspection of trees located on private land, such as private residential estates.
Residents may decide it is better to cut them down, rather than pay the price of regular checks.
I think the government should provide subsidies so that trees on private land can be checked regularly to avoid future tragedies and prevent trees from being felled.
Lui Tsz-yan, Tseung Kwan O 
 
Tougher laws needed for pet breeders
I would like to see tighter controls imposed on animal breeders in Hong Kong.
Some of these people mix breeds of cats and of dogs even when such cross-breeding causes genetic disorders.
My friend has a mixed breed Pomeranian. It was born with joint problems, is in constant pain and can barely walk. It is very cruel for breeders to act so irresponsibly.
Some of them also keep animals in small cages and force them to keep giving birth. Their living conditions are appalling.
We need tougher laws, to tighten controls on these animal breeders.
Angie Chung, Kwai Chung


Letters to the Editor, September 6, 2014

There are now more recycling bins in city. Photo: Sam Tsang

Two radio hosts fired; two very different reactions

The anti-Occupy Central march on Sunday. Photo: David Wong

Opinion

The large number of illegal guest houses has been a problem in Hong Kong for a number of years.


Letters to the Editor, September 6, 2014

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The large number of illegal guest houses has been a problem in Hong Kong for a number of years.

The large number of illegal guest houses has been a problem in Hong Kong for a number of years.