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Letters

Ferries can ease Sai Kung congestion
Sai Kung, like much of Hong Kong, is getting busier. As several large housing and hotel projects are reaching completion here, things will only get worse with regard to the number of private vehicles on the road.
Queues for buses and taxis are getting longer, and private cars take precedence over public transport (being allowed to park in bus stops is just one example of this).
Couple these issues with a local police force which shows very little interest in handing out tickets to illegally parked vehicles, enforcing the law, or even acknowledging that there's a problem to begin with, then things are going to get progressively worse.
The best the powers that be can come up with, as far as ideas on how to improve the situation is concerned, is to propose building more roads - specifically, a four-lane highway straight through Sai Kung.
What is needed is a viable alternative to road transport that will reduce the number of private cars, thus allowing public transport to function properly. Why can't the government establish new ferry routes from Sai Kung to transport hubs in Kowloon East and one or two destinations on Hong Kong Island?
Hong Kong is surrounded by water and has excellent ferry services currently in operation.
Has the government seriously considered bringing the MTR to Sai Kung? And, if not, why not?
There have been many proposals by local residents for dealing with the congestion in Sai Kung, such as having park- and-ride facilities - with cable cars into the town.
There must be an answer to the ever-growing congestion, but it seems the government only cares about money and not long-term solutions.
Andrew Maxwell, Sai Kung
 
Elderly should receive higher subsidies
Pay a visit to some of the dilapidated buildings in areas such as Sham Shui Po and Mong Kok, and you will see many elderly people living in tiny flats which are in a poor state.
They do not have enough money to buy all the daily essentials and society does not seem to care about them.
During their working lives, they contributed so much to Hong Kong and now it is time to pay them back.
Even some of those who are recipients of welfare payments, such as the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance scheme and Old Age Living Allowance, struggle to pay for all their necessities.
Welfare payments will not exceed HK$3,000 a month, so how can our elderly citizens cope with the high cost of living in Hong Kong?
The subsidies to which they are entitled should be raised. Most elderly residents are retired so for many of them this is their only source of income.
Certainly, the old folk who can prove they are underprivileged should be getting higher subsidies.
However, giving them more money is not enough. Society has to show that it cares about them. Charities and other NGOs should organise more voluntary visits to these pensioners. This is a good way to gauge their needs.
Also, the government could launch a community campaign, for example, organising a funfair with the elderly and other members of the community taking part. It should also step up publicity and education so that Hongkongers are more aware of the needs of the elderly.
When it comes to looking after our old folk I would like to see greater care being shown for them by society as a whole.
Leanna Lui Yan-yee, Tsing Yi
 
Ensure that professionals check trees
The tragic death of a pregnant woman from a falling tree in August highlighted the problem with diseased trees in Hong Kong.
Trees are often attacked by different diseases such as a fungus. They are then in danger of collapsing and pose a threat to pedestrians.
Trees that have been carelessly pruned by inexperienced gardeners can become damaged and diseased and become more vulnerable to attacks by parasites.
There must be regular health checks of all Hong Kong's trees. Also, the government should ensure that gardeners employed to look after them are suitably qualified and experienced so that they are less likely to unwittingly do irreparable damage to the trunk or branches.
Checks should also be stepped up after torrential rain or a typhoon, as they can cause soil erosion which can cause some trees to fall. And the strong winds during a storm can mean that many trees, while still standing, pose a risk and must be felled.
Edith Wan, Tsing Yi
 
International trade is vital to Taiwan
In his article ("Trading places", November 24), Erik Tollefson said once the Korea-China free trade agreement is approved, it will impact Taiwan's economy.
He also said Taiwan is too reliant on trade. While we agree with his first point, we must emphasise that, with limited natural resources and a relatively small domestic market, Taiwan must rely on international trade for economic growth.
Taiwan is bidding for membership in the Trans-Pacific Partnership and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, while exploring all opportunities to enter into bilateral free trade agreements with its trading partners in order to level the playing field for Taiwanese exporters in the international market. We need to show the world that Taiwan can take on the commitments negotiated in free trade agreements. The passage of the Services Trade Agreement in our Legislative Yuan [under the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement] is one major way of demonstrating our determination.
We agree with Mr Tollefson that Taiwan should strengthen its performance through economic structural adjustments. Various ministries are analysing the gap in the level of liberalisation of our domestic economic policies and that of international standards and regulations.
They're also looking at how to respond to the impact of trade liberalisation on domestic industries. Signing free trade agreements is not, as Tollefson erroneously claims, the only tool our government is using to improve our economic competitiveness.
We are simultaneously undertaking measures to adjust, restructure, and upgrade our industries, coupled with various programmes to upgrade industrial technology, to improve the global competitiveness of our industries through structural reform.
David Hsu, deputy director general, Bureau of Foreign Trade, Taiwan
 
Censorship hurts China's image abroad
I agree with those who have criticised the central government for imposing bans on some publications on the mainland including material for the education sector.
When books are banned, this restricts the freedom of speech of citizens.
They may contain important information, for example, a negative analysis of the history of the Communist Party or criticism of corrupt officials.
Beijing's bans also extend to material which appears on the internet.
These actions can be effective as those people who have a poor level of education will believe what they have been told by the government.
Other people will be intimidated and keep silent.
When expression of ideas is suppressed, it is more difficult to change bad government policies and move forward.
Also, book bans create a negative image of China internationally.
While China plays a prominent role globally, and has made great economic strides, it is still far behind Western countries when it comes to democratic politics.
Also, slapping a ban on some publications hinders cultural interaction between the mainland and Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Beijing is oversensitive about some subjects such as the Tiananmen incident.
We are lucky to be living in Hong Kong, where we have the freedom to speak and write and express our views without pressure being put on us to stay silent.
I hope this freedom continues to be respected in Hong Kong.
Suki Chan Shuk-fong, Yau Tong
 
Menus offer little in way of nutrition
Fast food is very popular in Hong Kong.
Fast-food outlets offer meals that are cheap and can be served and eaten quickly.
However, we tend to forget the problems associated with consuming too much of this kind of food.
The priority for these eateries is to get their meals cooked as quickly as possible, frying, especially deep frying is common - hamburgers, french fries and chicken wings.
They all have a lot of calories and little in the way of nutrients.
This is a problem for a lot of students who frequent fast-food restaurants and, as a consequence, suffer from obesity.
They enjoy eating the fried fare and are also attracted by the cheap prices charged by restaurant chains like McDonald's.
Hongkongers need to think more carefully about what they eat.
They should try to choose restaurants that offer good-quality and nutritious food.
Hui Chui-shan, Kowloon Tong


Letters to the Editor, December 8, 2014

Rigorous checks of trees are essential. Photo: Dickson Lee

Taiwan's trade dilemma amid flurry of regional pacts

The inflamed debate over China's deal with South Korea illustrates how trade agreements have become the main modus operandi to improve competitiveness.

Opinion

Sai Kung, like much of Hong Kong, is getting busier. As several large housing and hotel projects are reaching completion here, things will only get worse with regard to the number of private vehicles on the road.
