Opinion | Left Field: Legco halfwits need to wise up on funding for proposed Hong Kong sports hub
Hong Kong has already fallen behind Singapore and further delays will only exacerbate that
Terry Smith, a leading sports official, labelled the inaction by Legco last Thursday over the proposed Kai Tak sports hub as "political bloody-mindedness".
Let's hope it is just that - a stupidly bovine attitude by our dear councillors - and nothing more sinister, such as a Machiavellian plan to keep on delaying the building of the hub to allow property developers to seize the last bit of prime property overlooking the harbour.
This is not just a conspiracy theory, as a couple of years ago the property giants were eyeing the land allocated at Kai Tak for a 50,000-seat stadium plus ancillary facilities.
Thankfully that plan was cut down due to vociferous opposition from the sporting community. Now we face more obstacles with Legco refusing to approve the government's request for HK$62.7 million for pre-construction work.
This is because some dummies inside Hong Kong's Legislative Council want answers about how much the project will cost. To answer, the government has to employ quantity surveyors, among others, who can undertake a detailed study to come up with a financial estimate. That's why they need the money approved.
Unfortunately, our nascent "democracy" has given power to a bunch of halfwits who fail to understand this. No wonder the strong reprimand from Smith, a member of the Sports Commission: "There are elements within Legco who are just being politically bloody-minded ... they seem to be enjoying opposing the government".
