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Opinion | Use Hong Kong’s birth rate to measure ‘result-oriented’ John Lee’s success
- The next chief executive has shown ambition in pledging to tackle Hong Kong’s lingering issues, including reforming the civil service
- His administration should take a fresh look at the birth rate as an indicator of social ills that need fixing
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As sure as the sun rose in the east this morning, John Lee Ka-chiu seamlessly went from being the sole candidate running for Hong Kong chief executive to becoming the chief executive-elect.
Congratulations are in order for both Lee and his former boss, current Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor. The latter has obviously started the transition, beginning with getting the public used to what “result-oriented” governance may look like.
Lam was obviously in good spirits when she came out to announce the reopening of beaches and swimming pools and the relaxing of other social-distancing measures last week. Those are the results that people can feel. Lam stepped up and delivered.
Lam is on a roll, in fact. In a week, the East Rail Line Cross-Harbour Extension will open ahead of schedule. The completion of the extension did not come easily as it was plagued by a series of controversies, including cost overruns, engineering problems, issues with oversight and multiple delays.
As for the chief executive-elect, his manifesto might have been lacking in details but it did not lack ambition. Lee has vowed to do what no chief executive has done before.
Taking on the housing issue is a mammoth task, but taking on the civil service might be worth at least two mammoths.
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