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Letters

Public safety protocols need to be improved
On the afternoon of October 3, as I crossed the corner of Matheson and Yiu Wa streets in Causeway Bay, falling masonry landed a few metres in front of me and narrowly missed other pedestrians. Fortunately, no one was hurt. The normally busy street was devoid of traffic due to the nearby protests.
The building in question is old, with shops at ground level, but upper floors appear uninhabited. A large break in the external wall can be seen from where the masonry fell. It is obvious that other parts of this building are in poor condition as several cracks are visible in the external masonry.
Police temporarily cordoned off the area to clear the debris from the street and then allowed pedestrian access to resume as usual.
It is appalling that public safety was still at risk and nothing had been done. Did the police report this to the Buildings Department? Shouldn't the appropriate department have immediately erected protective scaffolding to protect the public while the building is repaired, or does someone need to be seriously injured or killed before anything is done? In Hong Kong, it seems the norm for a casualty to occur before authorities act.
It is pointless to wait until the owner carries out repairs to the building. Does a world-class city like Hong Kong have no procedures in place to foresee and handle such public hazards? There are many old buildings in Hong Kong, are they being checked?
Too many innocent people have needlessly died from preventable causes (falling trees, falling masonry, ferry disasters, blocked fire exits) due to lack of safety protocols and their enforcement by government departments. This is totally unacceptable and the relevant departments and officers should be reprimanded, stripped of their positions and held liable for any casualties resulting from such gross negligence. Wake up, Hong Kong.
William Chen, Happy Valley
 
Bus drivers' bad habits are dangerous
Can someone tell me why bus drivers can't wait until boarding passengers are seated before driving away and why passengers need to leave their seats for the doors before the bus has stopped at the bus stop?
This madness must be stopped before someone is seriously injured. Also, why don't drivers pull into bus stops for the safety of alighting passengers instead of pausing while still half in the traffic lane. This is bad for passengers and traffic flow.
Shane Kelly, Mid-Levels
 
Chengdu is the new economic hotspot
As a native of Chengdu , I sincerely hope that the city can look forward to a promising future.
Chengdu is far inland and a provincial capital, but it ranks No 1 in Asia in terms of the rate of job growth over the past five years. In the same period, income growth and development of high-value-added industries in Chengdu also surpassed Hong Kong and Shanghai.
However, Chengdu's per capita income is a weakness when compared with other major cities, and this is a very thorny problem. But the government is working to address this.
The rapid development of the city in recent years has shocked me. A total of 108 Fortune 500 enterprises have set up foreign-invested companies, branches or representative offices in Chengdu, including Motorola, Ericsson, Microsoft, and HSBC.
Domestic enterprises and the region's small and medium-sized enterprises also provide an important boost for economic development. National and regional development zones are also major factors underpinning economic development.
Sichuan is known as the "land of abundance", and its capital city has much to offer tourists in the form of local culture, beautiful natural scenery and, of course, pandas. In addition, Sichuan opera, cuisine, tea and wine all have a long history and are famous all around the world. Chengdu is a clean and neat city with good public transport and a carefree lifestyle. That's why a lot of people who have been there have said that Chengdu is a city you will never want to leave.
So I welcome more people to come to Chengdu and to get to know this beautiful city. I hope that it can become a cosmopolitan city that conjures up thoughts of more than just pandas.
Zhao Xipei, Sha Tin
 
Studying abroad can be beneficial
I refer to the article by Linda Yeung ("Boarding pass", October 27).
Yeung points out that it is a difficult decision for parents to send their children to schools abroad, but I think there are some advantages to making this decision.
Children who are sent abroad to study have a chance to be more independent. They learn to take care of themselves and this helps them to mature. This is in contrast to those Hong Kong youngsters with overprotective parents who become too reliant on their mothers and fathers.
Also, there tends to be less pressure in schools abroad compared to the Hong Kong education system.
Here, pupils are constantly under the spotlight, with parents and teachers having high expectations.
Because they try to do well academically, they have difficulty relaxing.
Although young people who study overseas will still be expected to work hard, they will almost certainly face a more relaxing school environment. They will have more spare time to pursue interests outside the curriculum.
Wang Tsz-man, Tseung Kwan O
 
Longer prison sentence for animal cruelty
Animal abuse cases in Hong Kong seem to be increasing. While many have been found guilty of animal cruelty, many others still manage to evade the law.
The government should strengthen the existing laws.
At present, the maximum penalty for animal cruelty is three years in prison and a maximum fine of HK$20,000.
I think this is insufficient to act as a deterrent. The law should be strengthened to allow courts to impose a prison sentence of at least 10 years, and the maximum fine should also be increased.
I hope citizens will think more about the impact that their actions have on the lives of animals.
Tracy So, Yau Tong
 
Parents need to talk to their children more
Social isolation is a growing problem in Hong Kong, but it always seems to be low down on the government's agenda.
Social networking sites are a contributing factor. While no one would deny that social interaction is important for teenagers, there are many students who only share their feelings in the virtual world rather than talking to another person face to face.
It is important that students develop good interpersonal skills. An inability to communicate properly can result in a loss of confidence and can hinder effective real-life social interaction, leading to depression.
There are many ways to tackle this problem. The most important is to encourage better communication within families. Many busy Hongkongers find it hard to make time to spend with their families. Interaction between parents and children is often limited, and, in some cases, non-existent, leaving children feeling socially disconnected.
Parents cannot just wash their hands of the business and shift all the responsibility of education onto schools and teachers. It is time for parents to pay more attention to their children to help limit their dependence on the internet.
Chan Chun-wai, Tseung Kwan O
 
The downside to short-term fix for bad air 
I refer to the report ("Smog fixes 'will fail in long term'", November 4).
The central government is keen to host important international events, like the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, but they prove to be a headache, because of high pollution levels in Beijing and Guangzhou.
Chinese officials worked hard to cut air pollution in the capital ahead of the Apec meeting, with some factories closed and only a limited number of vehicles allowed on the road. But experts are pessimistic about the long-term prognosis.
I am also concerned about the legacy these measures will leave. Once the restrictions are lifted, pollution levels will rise again. Factories will increase output to make up for the period they were forced to be inactive. There will be a spell of intense pollution, which will be very bad for the health of citizens exposed to the filthy air.
With Apec, the government repeated what it did before the 2008 Beijing Olympics and it is the public which suffers from the aftermath. If this pattern continues, it will not be long before the populace develops a fear, or even a hatred, of these international events.
Temporary measures are not the way to deal with a deep-rooted problem. Our leaders need to decide if, as well as achieving economic growth, they want to aim for sustainable development.
Michael Yu, Tsuen Wan


Letters to the Editor, November 8, 2014

Chengdu is developing rapidly. Photo: SCMP Pictures

Is boarding school right for your child?

Students at the Headington School for girls in Oxford, Britain.

The Headington School for girls.

 The British Council's Education UK Schools and Colleges Exhibition  attracted hundreds of parents and students. Photo: K.Y. Cheng

Matthew Burgess, of the Independent Schools Council.

Beijing's short-term fixes fail to address real causes of pollution

Environmental experts believe that repeated use of temporary measures to lift smog for political reasons may do more harm than good to the mainland's pledge to clean up its air pollution. Photo: Reuters

Environmental experts believe that repeated use of temporary measures to lift smog for political reasons may do more harm than good to the mainland's pledge to clean up its air pollution. Photo: Simon Song

Opinion

On the afternoon of October 3, as I crossed the corner of Matheson and Yiu Wa streets in Causeway Bay, falling masonry landed a few metres in front of me and narrowly missed other pedestrians.
