Letters to the Editor, June 16, 2017
Regulate the sale of breast milk online
This practice has drawbacks. Babies being fed this milk may be at risk as there is no quality control. The buyers know nothing about the mother who is selling it online and if, for example, she has an infectious disease that could be carried in the milk. The quality of the milk may deteriorate in transit, especially during the hot summer months, so the food safety aspect should be a huge concern to the authorities.
Also, there have been scandals of criminals selling fake or tainted food. I am also worried that mothers from poor families might sell all their breast milk, leaving their babies deprived of it and having to depend on milk formula instead.
However, it does have some advantages. Some mothers may not be able to breastfeed for health reasons and so this would give them access to breast milk. And if some poor mothers had excess milk, it would bring them much-needed income.
The business of buying and selling breast milk online should be regulated by the government, so that everything is above board and the milk is safe.
Priscilla Ko Ka-ying, Tseung Kwan O
At least Trump tries to keep out terrorists
The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said on a TV news programme in the UK that he could not monitor the more than 200 known jihadists who are back in London after fighting for Islamic State (IS). He also said police needed to prioritise.
He was then asked by Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan what could be more of a priority than these IS returnees. Why are these people not immediately arrested and imprisoned for treason as they fought for the queen’s enemies?
What I find more galling is the fact that Mr Khan has shown what he sees as the true priority here, banning US President Donald Trump from a state visit to the UK.
Mr Khan has not called for the banning of people who go and fight for IS, and this is the root of the problem. Mr Trump may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I back his proposed temporary travel ban for seven countries known to support and export the type of terrorism that the UK has experienced. The Manchester bomber had recently returned to the UK from Libya. Under Mr Trump’s travel ban, he would not have been let into the US as Libya is deemed a terror-supporting state.
All those people who give their smug progressive opinions on Trump’s faults should note that, when it comes to Islamic terrorism, Trump is the only Western world leader who recognises the danger it poses and will fight to keep America safe from the horrors that are now becoming the norm in Europe.
Dermot Cooper, Causeway Bay
Stress levels are high in local schools
When it comes to studying in the local school system, there is very little flexibility for students.
They have so many exams that the priority is to memorise as much as possible to get good results, but they may not really understand what they are being taught.
This is often what happens with the Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) exam.
There is so much material for teachers to cover, and looking in depth at it is less important than ensuring the students know enough to do well in the DSE exam. Passing tests becomes more important than acquiring knowledge.
This causes students a lot of stress and it gets worse if parents force them to attend tutorial classes to get better results. It is not good for youngsters to face so much pressure.
Schools have to help their students find the time to relax. If they are under less pressure, they can actually enjoy the learning process.
Hazel Book Tsz-yiu, Yau Yat Chuen
Education will boost organ donor list
In the past, the Hong Kong government did not do enough to boost the low organ donation numbers in the city.
Limited campaigns on posters and TV did not reach a lot of Hong Kong citizens. Education will play an important role so that, in future, more young people register as donors.
Schools should be provided with teaching materials so that young people can learn to appreciate how important it is to register, given that so many patients are waiting for a transplant and some will die before an organ becomes available.
Young Hongkongers have a lot of compassion and can sympathise with these patients. They just need to be educated to recognise they can make a difference as donors. Traditional beliefs form an obstacle to more people registering and, again, education plays an important role.
The government must recognise the importance of spreading the donor message as widely as possible and hopefully students who are on the register will do the same in their peer groups.
They should share information about the organ donor register with friends. Material on the register and the importance of being a donor should be distributed in all secondary schools. If this is done, we will see an increase in the number of young people joining the register.
Cindy Lo, Tseung Kwan O
Diners in HK want more dai pai dong stalls
Of course, issues such as hygiene in a food truck can be managed, but then again they can also be managed in dai pai dong. Also, the dai pai dong stalls don’t move and have a better water-in and water-out supply to aid good hygiene.
As for tourists and food trucks, maybe, as Rowse says, the only profitable ones seem to be near Disney.
But in London, Rome and Paris , outdoor dining, including eateries similar to dai pai dong ,thrive as they are popular with locals and tourists. The government’s blind war against dai pai dong is absurd.
If the government insists on having food trucks then so be it, but it is merely spinning wheels in my view, while our culturally deprived Hong Kong begs for the return of the dai pai dong food stalls and al fresco dining.
Sadly, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, and everywhere else in Asia, as well as Europe, are light years ahead of our blinkered Hong Kong government.
J. R. Robertson, Wan Chai
