Hong Kong wants to do big things. But to do big things we have to do little things well, like being courteous to visitors, dependable to investors and clean. Our government realizes this now, which is why it is cracking down on "litterbugs"

As a Chinese, I apologize that many of our people do not respect the environment as much as they should. We have had a "Clean Hong Kong Campaign" for two decades and the success has not been total. Last year the government got 15,231 convictions against littering and 2,881 against spitting. These prosecutions have had some effect but much more has to be done.

Some in the media and government blame continual, widespread littering on immigrants. They say the new arrivals have brought from the mainland dirty habits and have not had time to adjust to Hong Kong life. I am not thoroughly convinced with this argument and suppose social science researchers will explore this phenomenon.

Knowing the cause of littering is academic. Stopping it altogether is what we have to do. The Steering Committee on Health two years ago suggested doing away with summons and imposing a fixed penalty of $600 for the first offense to free the courts from having to rule on every individual misdemeanor.

The government has accepted this proposal and, recently, asked legislators to endorse the fixed fine. The existing Magistrates Ordinance already allows six departments - Food and Environmental Hygiene, Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation, Marine, Housing, Leisure and Cultural Services - to prosecute offenders in their respective jurisdictions. This means, for example, the Housing Department can go after litterbugs in housing estates and Marine can pursue those at sea. The government now further proposes that those six departments train up to 10,000 litter watchers to do their work anywhere and at anytime, including when they are officially off duty.

The Liberal Party and I applaud getting tough with litterbugs and the fixed penalty. We even support raising the basic fine from $600 to add more bite to the deterrent. We are, however, disturbed by the government requiring staff from the six departments to be on constant standby against litterbugs.

The government cannot expect civil servants to be on perpetual duty. The government also cannot expect the public to feel at ease with strangers in civilian cloth approaching them anytime, any place to issue them a ticket. Dealing with litterbugs is more than a case of issuing summons in the present and fixed penalties in the future. The anti-litterbug officers have to explain and cope with offenders who may be rude, rowdy, or even abusive.

Nor can the government expect civil servants to face down litterbugs when they are out of uniform when such attires project authority. I can imagine the hilarious situation of an off duty, in civilian clothes officer chasing down an offender, who may claim she is being pestered, accosted or harassed by a crazy stranger. The civil servants understand the risk and the embarrassment and we, the public, should understand their predicament.

I also do not support the government proposal to exempt the police from backing up the "Clean Hong Kong Campaign". The police not only enforce the law, they are the very symbol of it. Some policemen no doubt would be happy to unload responsibility for litter control on other civil servants and concentrate on tackling felonies. Other legislators and I prefer bolstering the fight against littering by enlisting the police in the issuance of fixed penalties all over Hong Kong and leaving the six departments to do so in their particular jurisdictions while on duty in uniform.

The police may have too much to do if littering is worsening. I believe the situation will improve as the tough stance against the blight takes effect and as civic education impresses on more and more people to protect the environment. Over time most citizens, including new immigrants, will learn not to litter because the law says so and also because they really want to contribute to a green Hong Kong, their home.

I draw a lot of comfort from the example of Singapore. Back when the predominantly ethnic Chinese Lion City gained independence in 1965 it was as smelly and soiled as Hong Kong, with which it was comparable in economic and civic development. Over the years Singapore has matured into one of the cleanest places not just in Asia but the world, winning kudos from visitors and investors alike.

Singapore has transformed because the government is strict with litterbugs, who are not only fined a mandatory S$1,000 for the first offense but are publicly humiliated as they are forced to sweep the streets as a part of their punishment. I do not figure we have to go to such an extreme because I have confidence in the human capacity to change with the right inducements and messages.

The Liberal Party and I are for a clean Hong Kong but we can only achieve this by legislating for a fixed penalty that the government can execute and the general public can understand and support.

Close Window| Print this page