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Hong Kong civil servants protesting in August last year against the government’s handling of the extradition bill. Photo: Felix Wong

Hong Kong civil servants must look at big picture and understand there is limit on their freedom of speech, says minister

  • Secretary for Civil Service Patrick Nip says government workers must not only consider issues from a ‘localist perspective’
  • Nip clarifies earlier comments he made regarding their need for civil servants to be loyal to city and China

Civil servants should be careful of what they say and avoid raising doubts over their ability to carry out their duties, Hong Kong’s minister in charge of the government workforce said, as he defended an earlier comment asking for their loyalty to both the city and Beijing.

Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip Tak-kuen appeared on RTHK’s morning radio programme on Monday to provide clarification for comments he made on Sunday, when he said the city’s 180,000 civil servants served both Hong Kong and the Chinese government, in line with the “one country, two systems” governing policy.

“While it is not wrong for us to carry out our duties as Hong Kong civil servants, we should not only consider issues from a ‘localist’ perspective,” Nip said. “Sometimes there is even a hostile attitude towards the mainland. Only when taking the big picture into perspective can we work one country, two systems to our advantage.”

Nip’s reminder to civil servants of their “dual identities” on Sunday was the first time in 23 years since the handover of the city from Britain to China that the government has specifically defined the role of its workers in this manner.

Civil service chief Patrick Nip appeared on a radio show on Monday and clarified earlier comments he made regarding the city’s government workers. Photo: Nora Tam

Leaders from two civil servants’ unions, both appearing on the same radio show before Nip, had asked for clarification on how they should balance their identities and whether they would be penalised for saying the wrong thing.

Michael Ngan Mo-chau, chairman of the Union for New Civil Servants, one of the many opposition groups formed during last year’s social unrest, said what Nip said had never been heard of before. Civil servants had a responsibility and right to raise their concerns about policies.

“When we do this, it is because we hope to decrease conflict in society,” Ngan said.

However, Nip said the dual identity was “not a new thing, just rarely discussed”.

Meanwhile, Leung Chau-ting, chief executive of the Hong Kong Federation of Civil Service Unions said Nip’s comments politicised and complicated the matter, and raised concerns among government workers over their freedom of speech.

42 Hong Kong civil servants suspended over protest arrests

He also pointed out the civil service rarely commented on political matters during British colonial rule, and if the entire group was now voicing opposition it might be a matter for their employer to reflect on.

Nip later said this did not mean that civil servants would lose their freedom of speech entirely.

“While policies are still being debated, all civil servants should speak freely. But once a policy has been made, then they should put their full effort into executing the policies,” Nip said.

But as civil servants, they should also be careful of what they say, even on their private social media pages, Nip added.

“Because of this identity, civil servants’ freedom of speech has a limit and they should not say things that would lead people to doubt their identities or ability to carry out policies effectively,” he said.

03:06

Hong Kong’s civil servants, medical personnel rally against government handling of extradition bill crisis

Hong Kong’s civil servants, medical personnel rally against government handling of extradition bill crisis

Nip also revealed a swearing-in system for civil servants similar to lawmakers was being discussed, and hoped the new regulations would be given support.

While Executive Council member Ip Kwok-him agreed with Nip that civil servants should show loyalty to both Hong Kong and the country as a whole, he pointed out they could still express their own opinion as individuals.

“But if they criticise the government in their position as civil servants, they could be violating the code of conduct,” he said.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Civil servants told to accept limits on their free speech
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