A letter to the Hon Cheung Man-kwong

February 26, 2008

Dear the Hon Cheung Man-kwong,

I am writing to complain about your discriminatory comment on February 20 against non-degree holders who wish to apply for the position of Director of Broadcasting and to urge you to retract the remarks.

As an ordinary citizen, I can agree no more with Mr. Robert Chow Yung, B.B.S., that blatant discrimination on the grounds of academic qualification is serious in Hong Kong and the importance of work experience is often underweighted in employment situations. Taking the case on hand of headhunting for the Director of Broadcasting as an example, all 20 applicants in the first round of the recruitment exercise, who met the requirement of holding university degrees, were found by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, i.e. the biggest employer in the territory, as unsuitable for the post. This judgment seems to have been made regardless of candidates’ professional background, as one of the publicly known applicants, Mr. Tai Kin-man was ousted even he, being the present Assistant Director of Broadcasting and having worked at RTHK since 1982, must be the candidate with the closest working experience to that of the Director of Broadcasting, if not necessarily the most experienced one in the public broadcaster’s work among the contenders. It is reasonable to believe there must be at least some other veteran media workers among the 20 applicants too, since the requirements for the post are not low. To lay members of the public like me, it is difficult to find what all the first-round candidates have together done wrong to make them commonly unqualified, except that they have all studied at universities.

The government's discrimination against degree holders in this incident is intolerable. But on the other hand it is a good chance for Hong Kong, of which the government always boasts it as a "knowledge-based economy", to rethink what academic qualifications mean. Mr Cheung yourself, as the lawmaker representing the education sector, have raised doubt on the quality of qualifications. It was revealed by Secretary for Education Michael Suen Ming-yeung upon your request on the Legislative Council meeting on October 31, 2007 that more than 600 students admitted to associate degree programmes in the past four years had not met the standard requirements, i.e. passes in an A-Level subject and the English and Chinese languages. Yet Mr Suen defended that the phenomenon did not amount to an abuse of the admission system. The figure plus the education chief's position are convincing enough for the government to distrust academic credentials while hiring. How can the government's recruitment, especially of such an important person as the Director of Public Broadcasting whose decisions made at RTHK will be seen to mark Hong Kong’s freedom of speech and freedom of press, rely on such a peripheral criterion of a piece of paper showing one has been at university?

Hong Kong is a free and open society in which everyone should enjoy the opportunity to succeed with their merits and efforts. The story of our Chief Executive Sir Donald Tsang Yam-kuen has demonstrated the Hong Kong way of success. Sir Donald, then Chief Secretary for Administration holding a Master's degree in Public Administration from Harvard University and honorary doctorates from the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, happily accepted the job as the Big Team Captain of Cleaning as assigned by his boss Mr Tung Chee-hwa in 2003. With his "I'll get this job done" spirit, Sir Donald had all streets in the city cleaned, and later took up the top job as the Chief Executive. If Sir Donald had been ousted from the colonial government's executive officer recruitment process because he then did not have a university degree, we would not see him leading the Special Administrative Region with strong governance now.

As Mr Chow, B.B.S. pointed out, academic qualification discrimination should by no means be accepted in such an advanced city as Hong Kong. I would like to take this opportunity to suggest to you and other legislators that the Special Administrative Region should legislate against academic qualification discrimination. This can not only enhance equal opportunities in employment and other situations, but will also improve Hong Kong's international reputation with regards to human rights. A pioneering law to combat this kind of discrimination, which has been overlooked by the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights and other international agreements, will certainly make Western critics forget Hong Kong still does not have universal suffrage or a law against racial discrimination. This will hopefully help the city maintain high scores in investment environment ratings, thus attracting global entrepreneurs to conduct businesses here.

Back to your comments on March 20, perhaps now I should thank you instead of asking you to retract them because - according to Mr Chow, B. B. S., had you not made them, he would not have applied for the position of Director of Broadcasting, and the people of Hong Kong would therefore never learn the new concept of academic qualification discrimination.

Yours sincerely,
Little Reporter
A Hong Kong citizen and a Bachelor of Social Sciences from the University of Hong Kong

京城採訪手記

零八年二月三日
今日心血來潮，草下一點早前在京城採訪的點滴軼事，以作記念。

上訪人潮
　　從報道看過不少描述國內上訪風氣益盛、百姓蜂擁到有關部門申冤的報道，可是從沒親眼見識過。零七年末赴京採訪人大常委對香港普選問題決定的新聞，適逢社會民主連線代表羅就先生意外成功「闖關」（實在不是「闖」，他是持有回鄉證的），到了北京人大常委上訪處遞交請願信，於是便跟着他到了上訪處所在地採訪。
我和一位同行跟羅先生三人一起在信訪處外馬路的另一邊下了計程車，果然看到過百人聚集在門外，不是在排隊等進去，也不像在等誰，就是一群人站在那兒不知幹麼。我們也沒怎理會，就停在那裏打算等齊同行們就開始行動。
　　幾位攝影師拿着腳架準備，身旁開始有一些民眾問我們是從哪裏來的，有甚麼事。我們看他們像一群愛打聽的，便盡量少理會，免得被他們追問下去妨礙工作。
誰知我們越想保持低調，他們越有興趣，起初只是站在我們旁邊的幾個人在好奇，漸漸竟然連馬路對面的一群人看見了也蜂擁過來，一時竟來了近百人。電視台的同行們本來備在該處拍攝數個鏡頭，但攝影師一舉起攝影機、當記者一拿起米高峰便迅速被包圍着，然後有一些人開始向他們展示一些信件和文件，紛紛要求電視台報導自己的個案。我作為文字記者幸好沒有遭殃，但也不敢走得太近。同行們後來要上採訪車裏去躲避，我就看見一位攝影師大哥被一位大嬸死纏着，幾經辛苦才上到車關了門。群眾還是圍着數輛採訪車鬧哄哄了一段時間，電視台記者們原想在上訪處門外取景作幾句報道，最後還是不得不放棄了，後來就與羅先生相約到他住宿的旅店才做訪問。
　　這群人對我們來說真是麻煩，妨礙着工作。但想一想，或許國內的冤情實在太多了。

北京的的士司機
　　資深港區人大代表吳康民先生寫過有關北京的士司機的文章，說首都很多司機熟悉國家政情，跟乘客們非常健談。小記者還要附讚幾句，因我遇過的司機真的不少很有心。這次採訪期間我有一次在反方向路上登車，打算拐個彎前往目的地，沒留意對面方向的路堵得很。那司機向我指指對面馬路，說我打的的話肯定要延誤很多時間，建議我不如乘地鐵好了，還告訴我地鐵站在哪兒。
　　說到的士司機幫的忙，十一月那次與同行們同來採訪曾蔭權特首述職時，我們這班港客也是聽得司機解釋，才曉得溫家寶總理用以形容香港情況的「形勢喜人、形勢迫人」是內地流行用語。司機大哥說，大家都常用這兩句來形容生活情況，不過從領導人口中說出「形勢迫人」，便非同小可了。

「請到北京飯店去」
　　北京飯店每晚房租一千二百八十元人民幣，算是十分昂貴，但由於地理位置之便，港聞記者每年赴京採訪全國兩會新聞時大多住在那裏，而這次我採訪人大常委決定也是住在那裏。一步出首都國際機場登上的士，對司機說：「請到北京飯店去」，司機有點疑惑的樣子，問我道：「北京飯店是嗎？」，大概是不相信我這個看上去怎麼也不像豪客的小妺妺會有錢租那兒的房間。開車不久他忍不住問我：「你住在那兒嗎？」……
　　另一天晚上，吃過飯回飯店休息。北京飯店的正門有道旋轉門，我正準備進入時剛好有一群客人從狹窄的旋轉門出來，為免擠迫我便等他們都出來了才進去。那守門的看見我，竟然問：「你去那兒？」我沒理睬他便走進去。

煲呔曾與陳四萬的公關戰

零六年六月廿七日

七一前夕的星期六，前政務司司長陳方安生高調宣布決定參予民陣遊行，令她挑戰現任特首曾蔭權的意向更趨明朗化。這已是她離開政府後第二次打着爭取民主旗號上街，雖然她口裏不承認與曾蔭權對着幹，理解選舉委員會遊戲規則的人亦知道她能成為特首的機會是微乎其微，曾蔭權似乎毋需視她為對手，但從兩人近期在傳媒的曝光情況可知道，雙方明顯有衝着對方而來的行動，並已展開一場精心部署的公關戰。

陳太現身去年一二．四反政方案遊行之後，於曾蔭權宣佈修改方案的當天召開記者會，公開促請他爭取二零一二年普選及押後立法會就政改五號報告書表決，被視為公然與曾蔭權打對台。今年五月二十日，曾蔭權與陳方安生等一班前行政局成員赴澳門聚會，這次被外界稱為「濠江密會」的旅程，其實卻通過各大傳媒公告天下，曾特首還趁機表示自己常與陳太一起遊玩，傳達兩人關係友好的訊息，似是有意淡化二人的敵對形象。事實上，曾蔭權從不公開承認視陳太為對手，不過在各界包括曾班子心戰室也估計陳太明年可能會參選特首的情況下，二人的對峙最近已升級至公眾有跡可尋的層面。陳太自「密會」之後出席每個公開場合發表講話，都與曾蔭權發放軟性新聞的日子剛好吻合，一個很大可能的解釋是，其中一方陣營，甚至雙方陣營正在積極狙擊對方的每一個曝光造勢機會。

曾蔭權原是平民出身的政務官，他自上次特首補選工程起已不斷標榜「香港仔」的親民形象為賣點，而他最近的公關策略亦承接此路線，以軟功招架陳太。五月二十五日，彭博通訊社播放曾蔭權專訪，他在節目上說自己與陳方安生除政治外「無所不談」，又提到做特首的三項條件包括得到中央政府支持，有論者認為是暗示陳方安生無條件做特首；節目廣播當天的晚上，陳太在亞洲出版協會頒獎禮上呼籲傳媒維護新聞自由，又破慣例於晚宴席上也接受訪問，更拋下一句希望回歸十周年時見到政改時間表，與曾特首求諸中央祝福的表態盡顯迴異。本月十六日，曾蔭權趁父親節前夕主動發表文章，憶述亡父舊日與年少的他共讀周記，更勸勉為人子女者欣賞父母的囉嗦關懷，盡顯孝慈一面；同日出席加拿大商會早餐會的陳方安生則在演說中大談環保，促請政府與民間共同合作改善本港空氣，則表現出關心社會的形象。值得留意的是，陳太當日只講環保，對記者所提出的政治問題一概不答，與她僅數日後高調表態截然不同。二十四日，時值曾蔭權就任特首一周年，他再使出軟銷功，通過港台節目發表上任一周年感受，表明自己會「放下身段」與民溝通；這次陳太便老實不客氣，選定曾特首的就任紀念日宣佈參加七一遊行，除加強下戰書的氣勢外，亦成功搶奪主流報章的篇幅。回顧這三次陳太的公開發言，不但在時間上與曾特首的宣傳動作同步，二人言論內容的政治成分亦有相應，可見他們是有意與對方爭奪新聞戰場。

曾特首與陳太是敵是友原也不需公諸於世，但這些門面功夫現竟要做出來給市民大眾看。如果這台戲只是陳太單方面演出，那尚可猜測是她個人想搶搶風頭，未必有實際威脅。不過目前看到的，是堂堂在朝而且連任勝券在握的特首曾蔭權也要通過各大小動作應付一個在野的陳太，可知他認真視對方為對手，這背後反映陳太在政壇尚有的影響力和她的政治動向，仍是不可忽視。

單身女子

零六年四月十六日

我一位單身女朋友今天這樣說：蠢女人是較容易得到幸福。這個論調驟耳聽來有點酸葡萄味道，但幾位朋友聽到，都實在認同。傳統智慧說女強人會嚇怕男人，這也不無道理，不過更接近我們想法的解釋也許是這樣：越精明的女子，或越是從失敗中汲取過教訓的女子，對每一個迎面而來的愛情機會便越戰戰兢兢。這班別人總以為是因為要求高而找不到對象的女子，她們不想有差錯，快樂而失敗的愛情，比不上痛苦但成功的，所以她們即使尋找不到「幸福」，也寧願「不幸」。手中沒有香甜的橘子，也總比投入大堆心血抓到後才發現是酸溜溜的桔子好。她們要愛時便要愛得轟烈，所以絕不相信「漁翁撒網」，亦不願接受「給個機會，一試何妨？」的游說。男生們可能以為她們很高傲，但她們其實對男生們沒有看不起的意思，反而生怕自己浪費了別人的光陰。這種女子，錯入了感情關係會自責，親手放開的不會後悔。當然，她們和一般女子一樣，渴望找到完美的愛情。但現實是，完美是永遠觸不到的，所以她們繼續上路，繼續追尋她們的理想。

大陸客

零六年二月六日

一向自問是個反岐視者，近日卻不知怎的對公共交通工具上的大陸客產生反感。

某天，登上巴士，選了下層次後排一個反方向的位置坐下。過了數個站後，四名操類似普通話方言的中年男女踏進車廂，走到車子的末排座位，坐成一列。往後整個車程，那類似普通話但我聽不明白的對話一直高聲地由我正前方，從左至右、又從右至左傳來。瞟一下左方，其中一位女士把玉腿一伸，舒舒服服地踏住對面座位。我心想，我要是後來的乘客，一定極不願意坐那張椅！但見坐在那「天蠶腳」旁角落位置的女孩，更只一臉無奈。

另一回，在地下鐵路車廂中。一位操國語的太太和她的兒子坐在我正對面，小孩手裏拿住Häagen Dazs雪糕杯（是Häagen Dazs！），津津有味地享受着。一滴、一滴，小孩的褲子，以至地鐵的座位都慢慢與他分甘同味。太太沒有看，更遑論叫停兒子。實在不忍看下去的我，正準備掏一張紙巾給這位小朋友時，他們便站起來下車了。

在中環站下車，瞥見月台上一個候車者手上的報紙，今日《龍門陣》一篇題為《內地遊客的不文形象》。

重開博客

很久沒有在這博客貼文，原因起初只是一些很簡單的技術障礙，後來因工作忙碌少寫文章，重開之事便不了了之。現把博客閑置期間所草數篇一次過發表，希望自己日後更勤執筆。