Hong Kong patriotic groups must chew over criticism of too elaborate banquet
- Negative culture of networking and adulation reflected in 43-table send-off for middle-ranking Hong Kong civil servant, who is going to study in Beijing
Wining and dining seldom plays out well when officialdom is involved. The controversy that saw the pro-Beijing camp coming under fire for throwing a large-scale farewell banquet for a district officer has raised more than image and perception issues.
It reflects a negative culture of networking and adulation among the patriotic groups that does little for confidence in district governance revamp.
Common sense would say sending off a middle-ranking civil servant with a 43-table banquet is going too far.
Regrettably, Wong Tai Sin District Officer Steve Wong Chi-wah and the 500-odd participants saw nothing wrong until the dinner at a Kowloon Bay restaurant came under fire.
A picture showed Wong, who is leaving to study in Beijing, flanked by hundreds of smiling guests inside a grand banquet hall, all holding a leaflet with his caricature and giving him the thumbs-up.
We do not know how many district officers have been given such an honour when leaving the post. According to the organiser, the Kowloon Federation of Associations, it has become a “tradition” in Wong Tai Sin to bid farewell to outgoing district officers.
Wong later apologised for causing the negative perception, after former chief executive Leung Chun-ying criticised the event and called for an end to what he described as growing “ostentatious and extravagant” practices by the pro-establishment camp.
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Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu believed that the parties involved had learned their lesson. It is not just a lack of political insensitivity on the part of the official concerned.
The organiser and participants, who include district leaders, lawmakers and civil servants, should have been more alert as well.
Even though the dinner reportedly did not involve public funds, the perception was just as bad. Lee also noticed the presence of multiple senior officials at community events had become a trend, saying better coordination was needed to help share the workload among the team.
We trust the establishment camp needs no reminders that extravagance and excess have been targets of crackdowns on the mainland over the past decade. Gone are the days when political and business elites could indulge in lavish banquets and celebrations for networking.
Events held after the Covid-19 hiatus should be careful not to be seen as over the top. Separately, the roles of district officers and district councils have been enhanced following a controversial revamp.
The last thing the government wants is to leave the public with the impression that wining and dining equates to better district governance. More solid achievements are needed to win the trust and support of the wider community.
