Letters to the Editor, February 14, 2017
Greater food protection for consumers
Such a scheme, which will improve the traceability of products in the supply chains of food manufacturers and restaurants, will ensure safer food is delivered to Hong Kong consumers.
They will also be able to use their smartphones to “scan products to retrieve essential information such as manufacturing date, location and even logistics procedures”.
This can help alleviate concerns some consumers might have about a particular product.
The scheme will examine the food manufacturing process. It can ensure a producer is maintaining good standards of hygiene and always using good quality material.
This is important as people are now more aware about the importance of ensuring food safety. They want assurances that what they are putting on their plate is completely safe. This enhanced scheme makes that possible.
While I appreciate that there is “a learning curve of one to two years before the new standards” are fully adopted, I hope it can become fully functional as soon as possible.
Hayley Au, Kowloon Tong
CCTV cameras needed on all MTR trains
The firebomb attack on an MTR train going from Admiralty to Tsim Sha Tsui on Friday, which left 19 people injured, highlighted the need for greater security on the MTR network.
The MTR Corporation will investigate how the blaze was handled and possible improvement measures.
I think one of the measures that should be adopted is installing closed-circuit television cameras in each train carriage.
This would enable staff in the MTR’s central control room to monitor events and to act as soon as there is any kind of serious incident.
There should be more staff patrolling the trains to deal with any unforeseen events, and each train should have sprinklers that are turned on immediately if there is a fire of any kind.
There also need for clear and easy-to-follow explanatory notes in carriages next to all fire extinguishers, so that passengers know how to use them.
Kary Au-yeung , Tseung Kwan O
Higher level of awareness is important
I agree with those who have called for all MTR trains to have closed-circuit cameras fitted. This can speed up the process of dealing effectively with any emergency.
I also think it is important for all citizens to try to be more aware of what is happening around them. All sorts of accidents can happen when you go out shopping, eating or using public transport. It makes sense to always try and take care.
If there is a sense of heightened awareness among citizens, they are more likely to be able to deal quickly with a potentially serious incident.
With regard to last Friday’s incident, I am concerned that some people were taking pictures with their smartphones.
Surely they were putting themselves at risk and, if they had to stay, it would have been better if they had tried to see if there was anything they could do to help.
Shirley Ho Lai-ping, Yau Yat Chuen
Wondering why Lam is so unpopular
I have been wondering why her level of popularity is so low.
I think many citizens have been unhappy with the way she dealt with the proposed Hong Kong Palace Museum.
They see this as being in sharp contrast to the way another candidate, John Tsang Chun-wah, has behaved. I can understand why he is more popular with the public.
Kyle Wong, Tseung Kwan O
More must be done to tackle student suicide
There have been many reports over the last few years of student suicides in Hong Kong, most recently after Lunar New Year.
I wonder what prompts them to make such a decision. Studies show that youngsters are sometimes under unbearable pressure in local schools. There is too much emphasis on academic achievements and this creates a very competitive atmosphere.
I think this can be exacerbated by students being too demanding of themselves and having unrealistic goals. Therefore, they put too much pressure on themselves. They can also face teachers and parents who have high expectations that they cannot possibly meet.
Some people have argued that youngsters need to try and find ways to cope with stress, by making good use of their spare time.
They should get involved in sports, the arts and voluntary work to broaden their horizons. However, that can be difficult if they have very little spare time, because they have so much homework.
While the Education Bureau has take some initiatives, ensuring there are counsellors in schools, and helping teachers promote career planning, more needs to be done. The bureau has to find other ways of helping young people so that the suicide rate drops.
Shirley Yeung Suet-yi, Yau Yat Chuen
Mobile eatery proves costly to get started
Some people have complained about the prices charged by the new food trucks – for example, in Wong Tai Sin.
Despite those views, I think the food truck scheme is a good idea. It has worked well in other countries. I believe the trucks will observe higher hygiene standards than Hong Kong’s traditional street hawker stalls.
I also hope that they can provide new opportunities for young people wanting to start their own businesses, and I think this is one of the reasons the government launched the scheme.
However, there have been complaints from the food truck operators about how costly it has been for them to get started. Therefore, officials should think about this problem and see what can be done to rectify it.
Wong Wing-lam, Kwai Chung
Tighter checks necessary at immigration
It is important for border checkpoints to have enhanced security.
The fingerprint check is already in force in a number of countries, and I think Beijing should liaise with other nations and find out what other measures they are adopting in their efforts to strengthen border security and curb terrorist attacks.
Photographing people on arrival is another initiative that could be adopted.
Fingerprinting began in Shenzhen Baoan International Airport on Friday and I hope it can be extended to the rest of the mainland as soon as possible.
Winnie Hon Wing-lam, Tsuen Wan