LettersHong Kong’s incoming leader John Lee should take a leaf out of Murray MacLehose’s book

Readers discuss the former governor’s contributions to social welfare in Hong Kong, the decades-old argument over small houses in the New Territories, how public libraries can better serve minority communities, the power of Mirror mania to help struggling artists, and becoming habituated to wearing a mask

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Sir Murray MacLehose (right), pictured in November 1978, served as governor of Hong Kong from 1971 to 1982 during British colonial rule. Photo: Chan Yuen-man

Published: 2:30pm, 14 May 2022

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Many Hongkongers would agree with the letter “‘Old wine in old bottle’ will not give young hope” (May 3) and do not have high expectations of chief executive-elect John Lee Ka-chiu’s administration.

Rather than wine, perhaps Lee should look to Scotch whisky for inspiration. It is 40 years since Murray MacLehose was governor of Hong Kong. His long list of accomplishments between November 1971 and May 1982 shows that our civil service had a culture that really worked during that period, when MacLehose introduced a wide range of reforms and welfare policies that laid the foundation of modern Hong Kong.

These included the Ten-year Housing Programme, the first Home Ownership Scheme, the “new towns” of Sha Tin and Tuen Mun, the establishment of country parks, the construction of the MTR and new hospitals, the creation of the Geotechnical Engineering Office to ensure the safety of slopes and hillsides, the establishment of the Independent Commission Against Corruption, district boards, the Jubilee Sports Centre and the Academy for Performing Arts.

If John Lee is able to accomplish even 10 per cent of the projects completed in the MacLehose years during his term, he will have been successful.

Frank Lee, Wan Chai