Public opinion supports restructuring, opposes filibustering
According to results of a public opinion poll released yesterday by Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Centre, some 60% of nearly 1,000 citizens surveyed agree that the government restructuring bill should be passed before July 1. And 70% of them firmly oppose lawmakers to obstruct its passage with "filibustering" activity.
These results of the poll are absolutely believable and reasonable. In fact, there is no need for a professional opinion poll to tell us that few Hong Kong citizens would want to see chaos in the SAR without an intact administration to be formed on July 1. It is true that many citizens are critical of the government's performance or not satisfied with the performance of some officials. But the general public can make a clear distinction: government structure is one thing while individual officials are another. They won't want to overthrow the government structure just because they are not content with some individual officials' performance. Not to mention that Leung Chun-ying's new team has yet to take office and put on a performance for public appraisal. How can the blame also be put on the innocent to block the formation of the new government?
Likewise, without a poll, it can be certain that the mainstream public opinion is against "filibustering", because the activity prodigally wastes taxpayers' money. Last time Raymond Wong Yuk Man and his ilk had filibustered 33 hours to obstruct the consideration of the by-election bill, causing a loss of $12 million of public funds!
Right now Raymond Wong and his ilk have already spread the word that they would table about 1,000 motions to "filibuster" when the restructuring bill is presented to the Legislative Council's (Legco) Finance Committee. Chairperson of the Committee Emily Lau Wai-hing has yet to make her attitude clear. The pro-establishment camp wants to stop the "filibustering" but there is no rule to follow. Under such circumstances, only mainstream public opinion in society can make Raymond Wong and his ilk think better of it. Raymond Wong and other opposition lawmakers must be made to realise that the public hopes for a smooth government transfer and hopes to see Leung Chun-ying and his whole new team taking office on July 1 to open a new chapter in the administration of the SAR, but not vice versa.
From this perspective, it is very timely and necessary for Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Centre to publicise the survey, with its results showing the vast majority of citizens support the restructuring and oppose "filibustering". The upcoming days will be crucial. All large social organisations, trade unions and commercial chambers should race against time to speak out with one strong voice to condemn "filibustering", in the hope of reining in the arrogance of Raymond Wong and his ilk. By doing "filibustering", one is not to oppose Leung Chun-ying but to make himself an enemy to society. In future, citizens will punish a filibusterer with their votes!
As a matter of fact, besides results of opinion polls recently released by research institutions, attention should also be paid to opinions expressed by various civil service organisations. As of yesterday, major civil service organisations such as Hong Kong Senior Government Officers' Association, Government Employees Association, Hong Kong Civil Servants General Union, Hong Kong Federation of Civil Service Unions, Hong Kong Chinese Civil Servants Association, Disciplined Services Consultative Council and Model Scale 1 Staff Consultative Council, have successively issued statements or written to the Legco to unequivocally express their support to the administrative restructuring and urge the Legco to pass the bill as early as possible. They have also pointed out that if the bill is not passed in time, the new government body would not be "intact" and as such its administration would be hampered. This would not only increase civil servants' workloads and pressures, but also directly affect government's services to citizens. Therefore, they have made the appeal to lawmakers that they waste no time on debating over the restructuring proposal endlessly but let it pass as early as possible, setting great store by Hong Kong's overall interests and by citizens' interests.
Whether the administrative restructuring is good and necessary, it is the vast majority of citizens whose interests will be most directly affected, and it is civil servants at all levels who have the prior right and intimate knowledge to speak out. Now mainstream public opinion has been clearly expressed and civil service organisations have made clear their attitude. In general, they all support the restructuring and oppose "filibustering". Such public opinion and the opinion of civil servants must not be ignored and violated. If Raymond Wong and opposition lawmakers stubbornly choose to be an enemy of the people by insisting on putting on a "filibustering" farce in the Legco's Finance Committee to block the administrative restructuring and obstruct a new, intact government from taking office, then they have to face serious consequences.
08 June 2012
