Recently foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong have launched a judicial review against a law which disqualifies them from permanent residency in Hong Kong regardless of how long they have resided in Hong Kong. Many Hong Kongers oppose to it fiercely, much as they do to migrants from mainland China in recent years.
Last week one of my mum’s friends came from Hong Kong to visit his son who is studying at a university in Melbourne, and we talked to each other on the phone. He asked for some career paths that would help his son to secure permanent residency in Australia.
My dad saw some parallels between the domestic helpers and my mum’s friend. There are conceivably plenty of Hong Kong families who send their children abroad for education and employ a domestic helper at the same time. While some of the families would see their children abroad as a foothold to possible future emigration, they will on the other hand probably object if their domestic helper managed to gain Hong Kong’s residency. The source of this conflict is quite clear: the domestic helpers tend to come from poorer countries, and they will presumably add pressure to the job market and social security system once residency is granted.
I added that Hong Kongers are probably more keen to see the wealthier type settle, but Hong Kong’s allure is sadly declining. The living environment in Hong Kong is certainly not the best. It is known to be crowded but this is really a secondary concern. It is also known to be polluted, but for a long time there has been no improvement. I spent a few days in Hong Kong at the end of August after a work trip in Germany. When my flight was descending, all I could see outside was a white veil, and my camera had a lot of difficulty in auto-focussing when I wanted to take some aerial shots! It was really disappointing and would certainly not leave any favourable impression on any foreigners who saw this.
Air pollution and living quality are age-old issues over which the Hong Kong government seems to be dragging its heels forever. On the other hand it is willing to see one of Hong Kong’s biggest draw cards, liberty, being chipped away and even joins the party. The heavy-handed treatment against protesters during the visit by the Vice-Premier Li Keqiang not only sends a chill down the spine of many people, but is also a sign of deteriorating human rights and liberty in Westerners’ eyes. If Hong Kong cannot offer things that foreigners tend to value, how can it ever contemplate attracting them?
The former Premier Zhu Rongji once said, according to the recently published book on his notable words, that he would pay particular attention to Hong Kong, because he could never find any criticism against him in mainland media but would read plenty of it from Hong Kong’s newspapers. If a national leader could see what sets Hong Kong apart, why is the Hong Kong government so hell-bent on destroying its asset and setting out on a path of self-destruction?
最近在港外傭（家庭傭工）提出司法覆核爭取居港權，惹來不少港人強烈反對，與近年反內地新移民一脈相承。
上星期家母有朋友從港來澳洲探望諗大學的兒子，跟我們通電話，其間問到兒子將來有何出路以便他申請澳洲永久居留權（permanent residency）。
家父聽罷感慨良多，說不難想像香港不少家庭既有請外傭，又有送子女出國負笈，後者目的或多或少都為博得外國居留權，但一說到家中外傭也想留港便千萬個不願意，實在矛盾，相信一大理由是嫌外傭窮，擔心他們會和港人搶飯碗爭福利吧。
我也插嘴道，香港最想吸引有錢人來，可惜愈來愈沒條件，居住環境不夠好，空間少還是其次，最差是空氣污染，我八月底自德國回港小休數天，飛機降落時，外面白濛濛一片，本想拍幾張高空照但相機竟然不能自動對焦，真夠掃興，足見空氣有多混濁，外國人看到，對香港的第一印象肯定不會好到那裡去。
空氣污染和居住環境這些老問題，政府拖了N年也總下不了決心解決，另一邊廂卻讓香港的一大優勢——自由慢慢侵蝕，甚至參與其中，李克強訪港時阻撓市民正常表達權利的舉動，看了教我們這些在外國的港人心寒，西方人知道的話也不免會認定香港在人權和自由上倒退了。外國人最崇尚的東西，香港提供不到的話，試問香港還有甚麼吸引力？
前總理朱鎔基在最近出版的《朱鎔基講話實錄》有句話，說他特別注重香港輿論，因為在國內「找不到罵我的文章，香港報紙上這類文章就多了」。國家領導人也體會到香港這個優勢，香港為甚麼卻忙著自毀長城？
Last week one of my mum’s friends came from Hong Kong to visit his son who is studying at a university in Melbourne, and we talked to each other on the phone. He asked for some career paths that would help his son to secure permanent residency in Australia.
My dad saw some parallels between the domestic helpers and my mum’s friend. There are conceivably plenty of Hong Kong families who send their children abroad for education and employ a domestic helper at the same time. While some of the families would see their children abroad as a foothold to possible future emigration, they will on the other hand probably object if their domestic helper managed to gain Hong Kong’s residency. The source of this conflict is quite clear: the domestic helpers tend to come from poorer countries, and they will presumably add pressure to the job market and social security system once residency is granted.
I added that Hong Kongers are probably more keen to see the wealthier type settle, but Hong Kong’s allure is sadly declining. The living environment in Hong Kong is certainly not the best. It is known to be crowded but this is really a secondary concern. It is also known to be polluted, but for a long time there has been no improvement. I spent a few days in Hong Kong at the end of August after a work trip in Germany. When my flight was descending, all I could see outside was a white veil, and my camera had a lot of difficulty in auto-focussing when I wanted to take some aerial shots! It was really disappointing and would certainly not leave any favourable impression on any foreigners who saw this.
Air pollution and living quality are age-old issues over which the Hong Kong government seems to be dragging its heels forever. On the other hand it is willing to see one of Hong Kong’s biggest draw cards, liberty, being chipped away and even joins the party. The heavy-handed treatment against protesters during the visit by the Vice-Premier Li Keqiang not only sends a chill down the spine of many people, but is also a sign of deteriorating human rights and liberty in Westerners’ eyes. If Hong Kong cannot offer things that foreigners tend to value, how can it ever contemplate attracting them?
The former Premier Zhu Rongji once said, according to the recently published book on his notable words, that he would pay particular attention to Hong Kong, because he could never find any criticism against him in mainland media but would read plenty of it from Hong Kong’s newspapers. If a national leader could see what sets Hong Kong apart, why is the Hong Kong government so hell-bent on destroying its asset and setting out on a path of self-destruction?
最近在港外傭（家庭傭工）提出司法覆核爭取居港權，惹來不少港人強烈反對，與近年反內地新移民一脈相承。
上星期家母有朋友從港來澳洲探望諗大學的兒子，跟我們通電話，其間問到兒子將來有何出路以便他申請澳洲永久居留權（permanent residency）。
家父聽罷感慨良多，說不難想像香港不少家庭既有請外傭，又有送子女出國負笈，後者目的或多或少都為博得外國居留權，但一說到家中外傭也想留港便千萬個不願意，實在矛盾，相信一大理由是嫌外傭窮，擔心他們會和港人搶飯碗爭福利吧。
我也插嘴道，香港最想吸引有錢人來，可惜愈來愈沒條件，居住環境不夠好，空間少還是其次，最差是空氣污染，我八月底自德國回港小休數天，飛機降落時，外面白濛濛一片，本想拍幾張高空照但相機竟然不能自動對焦，真夠掃興，足見空氣有多混濁，外國人看到，對香港的第一印象肯定不會好到那裡去。
空氣污染和居住環境這些老問題，政府拖了N年也總下不了決心解決，另一邊廂卻讓香港的一大優勢——自由慢慢侵蝕，甚至參與其中，李克強訪港時阻撓市民正常表達權利的舉動，看了教我們這些在外國的港人心寒，西方人知道的話也不免會認定香港在人權和自由上倒退了。外國人最崇尚的東西，香港提供不到的話，試問香港還有甚麼吸引力？
前總理朱鎔基在最近出版的《朱鎔基講話實錄》有句話，說他特別注重香港輿論，因為在國內「找不到罵我的文章，香港報紙上這類文章就多了」。國家領導人也體會到香港這個優勢，香港為甚麼卻忙著自毀長城？
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