Society & Politics
Outcry from industrial buildings tenants
- 2016-11-10
- Politics
- 2016-11-10
Should the government ease the application for the industrial buildings owners to change land usage? by Paulus Choy Ken Wong Cheuk-kei, a boxing coach who set up his gym in an industrial building in Kwun Tong last year, was carrying two bags filled with boxing gloves and gear during the day of the interview. He had just vacated his boxing gym after government officials deemed his place accident-prone, and told him to clear out. He, along with many other tenants, is affected by the recent government checks on industrial buildings in Hong Kong. Recent fires that occurred in Ngau Tau Kok and Sham Shui Po, sparked public outcries to beef up control over these buildings. Ngau Tau Kok fire in particular started due to an accident in a mini-storage room, and claimed the lives of two firemen. The secretary for development, Paul Chan Mo-po, said the checks are targeted at industrial units which attract people to gather at the building, and other premises that store dangerous goods.Tenants found to be in breach of the lease during the check would be evicted. The Land Department has announced that tenants found to have violated usage of the space, with risk of causing accidents, would have to move out by the 29th of August. Landlords would be granted 14 days to see the tenants move out, or else the government may repossess the property. Since the decline of the industrial sectors in 1990s, industrial areas have been an ideal place for non-industrial businesses to operate, as they are not expensive and are quite spacious, even though the land usage of many of the industrial buildings has not been successfully converted. Mr X, who refused to reveal his name, is facing the same challenge as Wong did, as he is renting an apartment …
Train to the Southern District
- 2016-11-10
- Politics
- 2016-11-10
MTR South Island Line may cause more inconvenience than benefit to the community by Tiffany Lui The Mass Transit Railway Corporation (MTR) has recently announced that due to the construction work in Admiralty station, the South Island Line (East) may launch at early 2017. The South Island Line (East) will connect the Southern District, including Ocean Park, Wong Chuk Hang, Lei Tung and South Horizons, to the existing Admiralty station. The Southern District has been suffering from serious traffic congestion for decades since most of the vehicles rely on the Aberdeen Tunnel to get to the heart of Hong Kong Island. The Transport Department has put forward a proposal to establish several new bus and minibus routes to improve traffic congestion in the Southern district, after consultation and looking at the data from the bus and minibus companies. Several new routes will be established - for example, minibus 51B that links Tin Wan Estate with the future Wong Chuk Hang MTR station - but other routes will be rerouted or cancelled, like Citybus 71 and 75, which serves Central and Wong Chuk Hang. Some commuters are skeptical about the ability of the new MTR line in resolving traffic problems. They believe that the plan will bring more inconvenience to the Southern District. Nine community interest groups - including Western District Transport, SH Concern Group and Imaging Wong Chuk Hang - have set up a Concern Alliance to call for actions to bring residents' voices to the Transport Department and the Southern District Council. "I think the Transport Department has underestimated the number of people who travel in and out of the district everyday during peak hours," Clive Law Siu-yin, a member of the South Island Line Concern Alliance, said. According to the MTR website, there will be a total of …
Eco-Vandalism across Hong Kong
- 2016-07-22
- 2016-07-22
Biodiversity in Hong Kong is being threatened by loopholes in law enforcement and protection By Daniel Ma Biodiversity in Hong Kong is under threat because of human activities, local environmental groups said. In March, eleven green groups organised the "Wall of Destruction: Eco-vandalism across Hong Kong" exhibition in Central. Among the displays is the recent illegal mud dump in Tsim Bei Tsui in Yuen Long District. According to environmentalists, illegal developments and fly tipping have damaged certain areas within high ecological value have suffered from degradation, which is mostly caused over the past decade. Dr. Michael Lau, Assistant Director in Conservation for WWF Hong Kong said the situation has worsened in recent years. "The first Eco-vandalism exhibition in 2010 displayed 49 cases of environmental destruction between 2006 and 2010. However, there has been no improvement at least 11 locations.. In some cases, it got worse and over the past six years, 56 new locations have been added to the list." he said. Environmental concern groups said such of the damage is the result of loopholes in law enforcement and protection. A case in point is Sha Lo Tung, Tai Po, also known as "Dragonfly Paradise". According to WWF, large scale vegetation clearance by the Lands Department since 2006 has drained the wetland and damaged the environment. Sha Lo Tung is listed as one of the priority sites for enhanced conservation under the government's New Nature Conservation Policy . But it is not included in a country park area. Instead, it is regarded as a country park enclave. Such enclaves are areas of environmental interest but not within country park boundaries. Most of them are on private land. A spokesperson for the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said that in the case of Sha Lo Tung, most of the land has …
Is Student Strikes Still an Effective Way in Defying the Unfair System in Hong Kong?
- 2016-04-02
- Politics
- 2016-04-02
by Crystal Tai & Celia Lai Ever since pro-democracy protesters retreated from the streets after the Umbrella Movement, education has become a political battleground as government interferes with academic freedom, say students at Hong Kong University. Fifteen students formed a class boycott committee on 18 January after Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying's controversial appointment of pro-Beijing official Arthur Li Kwok-cheung as chairman of the university's council. His appointment came right after the university council's rejection to nominate liberal law scholar Johannes Chan Man-mun as the pro-vice chancellor, which sparked a weeklong class boycott in January. Professor Benson Wong Wai-kwok at Baptist University says that class boycott has become a common way for students to impose pressure on the authority. "Students leave the classroom to show the willingness, determination and commitment to challenge the government," he said. Class boycotts can be traced back to 2012, when tens of thousands protested against plans to introduce Beijing-centric national education in schools. Although students were not completely satisfied with the temporary withdrawal of the proposal, the move was regarded as a concession made by the government. In 2014, young activists called students to join boycott campaign in their fight for genuine universal suffrage and resignation of pro-Beijing leader Leung Chun-ying. Li Chung Chak, secretariat of Scholarism told TYR that the series of class boycotts culminated in the 79-day Umbrella Movement. "The call for class boycott successfully aroused social awareness and it made local headlines. It was a milestone for the active youth participation in the Occupy Movement," Mr. Li said. More than a year after the Occupy protests, Beijing has not given any concessions to accommodate the voice of students. Tensions escalated after Mr. Li was appointed to preside the university council, stirring fears about eroding academic freedom. "We want to show students' strong …
From Keyboard to Chopping Board
- 2016-04-02
- People
- 2016-04-02
by Paulus Choy Muslims own most of the Halal eateries in Hong Kong, and one of the city's oldest restaurants of this kind is run by a Muslim family. Osman Wong Kar-yi is the owner of Wai Kee, a nearly 70 -year-old Halal restaurant in the Causeway Bay food market. He aims to serve the Muslim community with authentic Halal dishes, just as his parents have done for decades. Nowadays, Wai Kee attracts non-Muslims as well as Muslim customers. Osman's grandfather started the restaurant in 1939 because there were few places that were selling Halal food at the time. But working in a kitchen is a sea change for Osman. He studied computer science in Canada, and began his career in information and technology. He was once a manager at computer giant, IBM. As a boy, he used to help out in his father's shop every weekend. Then his mum got injured. The loving son did not want to end the family business, so Osman quit his job at IBM and now works full time at Wai Kee. "My daughter asks me why I don't wear a suit to work anymore," he said with a bitter smile. But Osman still provides computer consultancy for his clients on the side. "During a parents sharing event at my kid's school, they were startled when they knew I ran a hawker stall," Osman said. " I simply ignored these reactions and carried on. " He has had to learn how to handle picky customers with eccentric personalities. One customer, for example, complained to him about his food, wanting to have duck instead of chicken over rice. "This particular man never has the money to …
Bid Farewell to the Last Urban Walled Village
- 2016-04-02
- Politics
- The Young Reporter
- 2016-04-02
by Nicki Wong & Melissa Ko The remaining tenants of Nga Tsin Wai Tsuen packed their belongings and cleared their houses in the largely abandonned and messy village. Most of the other residents had moved out already They were ready to hand over their homes to the Urban Renewal Authority (URA). Nga Tsin Wai Tsuen in Wong Tai Sin district has a history of more than 650 years. It is known as "the last walled village in the city". The URA calls it a chapter in Hong Kong's " lost history". A conservation project began in 2007 to preserve three of the relics: Tin Hau Temple, the village gatehouse and an embedded stone tablet. The target is to complete the works in 2018-19. "I think the whole village should have been preserved," said Mr Wing, who lives near Nga Tsin Wai Tsuen. Although many residents and neighbours may share his view, conservation experts find little reason to keep the whole village. "Since the development of Morse Park, living conditions in Nga Tsin Wai Tsuen has changed," said Wu Chi-wai, Legislative Council member for Kowloon East, and District Council member for Wong Tai Sin. Nga Tsin Wai Tsuen, which means "overflowing prosperity" was fortified against pirates and cannons in the 18th century. Ten years ago, it was full of shops and street food stalls, or Dai Pai Dong. "Had we started preserving the village then, it would have been worthwhile," he continued, "but now, I don't see any point in keeping it. Only eight blocks are left and that's not enough to represent the culture of the village," Mr. Wu said. Most of the old houses in Nga Tsin Wai have been torn down and there are fewer and fewer villagers over the years. All that's left are rubble and …
Newspapers Exclusively for Local Residents
- 2016-02-19
- 2016-02-19
by Sing Lee It is 9 p.m. on a weekday when a group of post-80s and post-90s gather in a narrow store room in a public estate building to discuss on ideas for their next issue of Tin Shui Wai Bimonthly Newspaper. After working for a whole day in urban areas, these young reporters spend up to two hours returning to their hometown to start their night shift – telling stories about the place they sleep in. "Tin Shui Wai is doomed as a ‘bedroom city', in which inhabitants only take naps between their two sections of long working hours," said Chung Yuen Yi, an experienced social worker and the chief executive of Tin Shui Wai Community Development Network. But the group of youthful residents are doing more than hibernation in the kingdom of Sleeping Beauty. Back in 2014, when the network receive subsidies from a permaculture foundation, they were thinking of a way to build and present stories of a sustainable city. They decided to start a local post written by the neighbourhood themselves as people did not even know what Tin Shui Wai has. The press has covered stories on market, entertainment, handcraft shops and farming in the area. Readers find the newspaper a useful guide to explore their close-yet-unfamiliar district, and some even collect every volume of the publication. Editors of the bimonthly, who are also local residents, said preparing the reports was a learning process for them too, making them sensitive to the community's issues. Leung Lai-yan, a cultural studies graduate and the organising officer of the post, said it was a success that has made them to try publishing investigative reports. The latest issue of Tin Shui Wai Bimonthly Newspaper includes an article on the use of planters, quoting the amount that the Yuen Long …
The Michelin Kiss of Death?
- 2016-02-19
- Health & Environment
- 2016-02-19
by Tiffany Lui Not all Michelin-awarded restaurants in Hong Kong this year are rejoicing in the hope that the accolade might bring business. Some face the pressure of rising rent which may lead to closure. This phenomenon was coined by the media as the "Michelin's Kiss of Death". The Michelin Guide has been an index for excellent restaurants and food stalls since the 1900s. The 2016 edition of the Hong Kong and Macau Michelin Guide awarded 58 local restaurants and recommended 23 roadside food stalls. Since then at least two of those food stalls have been told by their landlords that their rents would go up immediately. Among them, Chiu Wing-yip, the owner of Kai Kai Dessert. "After we got the stars, the landlord increased our rent in the new contract by 120 per cent. That means we need to sell 5000 more bowls of sweet soups to cover the cost and I don't think we can make it!" Mr Chiu said. He said that the rising rent is definitely linked to Michelin but he is still happy to get the compliment. "We are very grateful to see people enjoying our food and Michelin has put a halo around our products." Mr Fu, a customer, goes to Kai Kai Dessert every week. He was shocked when he learned that the rent shot up. "I guess an increase of 15 or 20 per cent would be acceptable. But isn't 120 per cent a bit too much? No shop can afford this!" He is also concerned about the diminishing choice of local small food stalls. "I really don't know what to eat when all the shops near my home are McDonald's, Café De Coral and Maxims. I miss the fish balls and Cha Chaan Teng we used to have in Hong …
No Standard Working Hours for Maids
- 2016-01-29
- 2016-01-29
by Jon Chan At the crack of dawn, domestic helper Jennifer Hinalan gets up to vacuum the house when most people are still tucked in their beds. Ms Hinalan, who works up to 15 hours a day, wakes up at 6 a.m. and goes to bed at 9 p.m.. Such a schedule is common among foreign domestic helpers in Hong Kong. The proposed Standard Working Hours Scheme (SWHS) though, is unlikely to offer any relief. The scheme, set to be introduced next year, will regulate working hours and overtime pay. But domestic helpers will not be covered. According to the scheme, once a worker has completed the standard number of hours, he or she should stop working. It also introduces overtime pay that compensates employees at a premium rate. However, the Standard Working Hours Committee has yet to include domestic helpers in its discussion or surveys, according to the committee's website. "The Standard Working Hours Committee is further exploring the directions of a working hours policy applicable to Hong Kong," said Cathy Lui, spokeswoman for the Standard Working Hours Committee, in response to covering live-in domestic workers. In a statement, the Hong Kong Federation of Asian Domestic Workers Unions, has demanded the committee to include living domestic helpers in its deliberation for SWHS. "The consultation document says that certain countries exclude domestic workers in their SWH regulations," the statement says. "The lack of regulation on working hours of live-in domestic workers would send the wrong message to employers that they can order their helpers to work 24-hours a day." "The selective information by the committee suggests that domestic workers' cannot have SWH protection," statement says. Canada includes live-in maids in their labour laws and has set the standard hours of work at eight hours per day and 40 hours per week. If Hong Kong is to follow suit, Ms Hinalan, who works more than 10 hours a day, would receive overtime pay. But she doesn't want to see that happen because she is worried about losing her job. "(My employer) may have to pay me a lot more, so …
School Sites Forgotten
- 2016-01-27
- 2016-01-27
by Fred Lai Every day before 6 am, more than 25,000 primary school kids start their day by marching through the still-asleep Shenzhen city to its border with Hong Kong, where they take school buses heading towards different parts of the city, from North District to Lan Tau in the south.