An Omicron New Year

Just as Omicron has entered the Hong Kong community, people gathered in restaurants, hotels and outdoors to ring in 2022.

It has been confirmed there are at least two local cases of Omicron that originated in a Chinese restaurant in Festival Walk shopping mall in Kowloon Tong.

At Moon Palace restaurant, one Cathay Pacific crew member dined with his 76-year-old father, who also tested positive for the variant, as well as a 34-year-old construction worker who was sitting 10 metres away and eating with his family.

At least 3 people were infected at Moon Palace

Two other Cathay crew have tested positive for the virus as well.

Cathay's internal rules are that aircrew staff should only go out briefly for essential items and coronavirus testing during the isolation period. But now it looks like they must quarantine for seven days instead of three, and with not enough crew, flights will be affected, including cargo.

There were concerns on Twitter that the shipments of food at Marks & Spencer would be affected, though as we know, most food in Hong Kong is imported. Mail to various countries will also be affected.

So perhaps we are already in the fifth wave, but for the most part people were out and about tonight to celebrate the end of 2021 and welcome the new year.

While temperatures were mild, the last few days the pollution index has gone up and today was particularly hazy all day. We didn't make it up to the Peak and just as well -- we probably wouldn't have been able to see much -- so we opted the harbourfront instead.

People getting tested for Covid at Festival Walk

And when the countdown to midnight happened, suddenly fireworks exploded from the tops of several buildings nearby which was quite a sight. Hong Kong has hardly had any fireworks for the past two years so it was nice to have 10 minutes of them going off as well as a synchronised drone show.

Here we are in 2022. But now Hong Kong is seeing Omicron spreading in the city -- and hopefully that will spur the unvaccinated to finally get their jabs. It's time to get tough on those not yet vaccinated otherwise the city will never be able to move on.

We need to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Government Sets Minimum Size for Flats

Wong sets minimum size for flats on govt land to 280 sq ft

Finally the Hong Kong government has decided to take a stand and determine the minimum size of a flat.

Secretary for Development Michael Wong Wai-lun has determined that flats on government land can be no smaller than 280 square feet. We're assuming this is the amount of actual living space in the flat and not including public areas...

There are still lots of nano flats on the market

When asked why 280 sq ft was chosen, Wong said another subsidised project at Anderson Road in Kwun Tong had a minimum size limit of 250 sq ft that was used as a reference point. As the Tuen Mun parcel is a private piece of land, that is one step higher on the housing ladder (than one on government land), so the threshold was taken to 10 percent higher.

Government officials are not actually looking at the size of flats and saying, "This looks liveable to me,", but rather "What's the going rate now?" which is not how to solve the city's housing woes.

Have these senior ministers actually walked inside a 250 sq ft or 280 sq ft flat and asked themselves if they could actually live in there with all their stuff?

Apparently this is not how they do things.

"Now that we have set the rules of the game clearly, [developers] will not need to worry about their peers benefiting from a layout with very small units," Wong said. "We think it is a level playing field. It is a very fair-game rule."

How about a flat almost twice the size of this?

For the developers yes, but not the buyers, many of them young people trying to get onto the housing ladder.

Wong was not worried about the establishment of the minimum size affecting home-buying options as there were still plenty of flats measuring smaller than 300 sq ft.

The question now is what will happen to the values of the flats that are smaller than 280 sq ft? Will they be less valued because they don't make the grade anymore?

Hopefully with the minimum space determined, then we will see the end of nano flats, those smaller than 200 sq ft, though some real estate experts say the 280 sq ft will price many out of the market. 

A never-ending vicious circle...

Stand News Stands Down

Media covering arrest of Stand News editor Patrick Lam

Yesterday Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and six former senior editors and executives were slapped with another charge of allegedly promoting seditious material. 

Early this morning news broke that the national security police arrested seven people related to independent online news outlet Stand News, including former and current editors, former opposition lawmaker Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee, musician and activist Denise Ho Wan-sze, and Christine Fang Meng-sang, cousin of former chief secretary Anson Chan Fong On-sang.

Denise Ho was also arrested this morning

Police also froze HK$61 million (US$7.8 million) of Stand News' assets, making it the second news outlet to be accused of breaching the national security law.

Ronson Chan Ron-sing, Stand News deputy assignment editor and chairman of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, was also taken from his home in Tai Wai for questioning but was not placed under arrest.

Coincidentally, Chan was at the association's annual dinner two nights ago, in which he deplored the rapid deterioration of press freedom in Hong Kong.

In part he said this:

"When the Excom was elected last June, we made a solemn promise to our colleagues and the society. We know that it is a turbulent time, but freedom of the press is one of the pillars of Hong Kong's success. Since its establishment in 1968, HKJA has attached importance to its social responsibility as much as to the needs of our colleagues. Hong Kong needs both truth and reporters. No matter how difficult the road is ahead, HKJA will do our utmost to continue to stand high and shoulder to shoulder. In the face of an uncertain future, we have no other request from our friends and partners other than your encouragement. Our humble wish is to continue to receive words of encouragement even if they may be soft and low."

Chan speaks to reporters after his release

By this afternoon Stand News was shut down, its employees all laid off. By 11pm tonight the website was shut down as well as its social media like Twitter accounts.

More than 200 police officers were involved in Wednesday's crackdown, raiding the Stand News office in Kwun Tong with a warrant, and took away 33 boxes of evidence, including computers and journalistic material, and also searching the homes of some of the accused.

At a press conference today, Chief Secretary John Lee Ka-chiu justified the arrests of the seven which led to Stand News' demise.

"Anybody who attempts to make use of media work as a tool to pursue their political purpose or other interests [and] contravenes the law, particularly offences that endanger national security, they are the evil elements that damage press freedom," Lee said.

Barrister Margaret Ng was arrested by police

"Professional media workers should recognise that these are the bad apples who are abusing their position simply by wearing a false coat of media worker and then, using that position, abuse news as a tool, to pursue their own purposes. They will pollute press freedom. Professional media workers should recognise this, say no to these people and stand far from them."

Senior Superintendent Steve Li Kwai-wah, of the police force's National Security Department, said they froze Stand News' assets as they questioned where the money came from as the news outlet did not accept sponsors or receive many advertising fees. 

The police also questioned how Stand News could have the money to open a bureau in the UK and if a conspiracy had occurred. 

Stand News was founded on December 29, 2014 and shut down almost seven days later to the day on December 27, 2021.

It became known for its on-the-ground reporting, particularly during the 2019 protests and was a go-to source for news for opposition-leaning readers. Its reporters also did investigative stories, including the latest one on two senior immigration officials allegedly receiving gift hampers from embattled developer China Evergrande.

Screenshot from Ho's live stream of Yuen Long

By law civil servants are not allowed to receive gifts worth more than HK$3,000, but these hampers were priced at HK$3,388. One of the officials surmised that the hampers were bought during an early-bird special so they actually cost under HK$3,000...

During the 2019 protests, it drew 3.8 million viewers when its then reporter Gwyneth Ho Kwai-lam, live streamed the attacks in the Yuen Long MTR station on July 21, 2019, and she herself was attacked by the white-clad men with rods. Her video was a chilling record of what happened that night.

But Stand News is no more. 

There are fewer places for Hongkongers to get their news. If anything the mainlandisation of Hong Kong continues to steamroll on, making press freedom in the city even more fragile by the day.

Expert Says HK Should Reopen with Higher Vaccination

Yuen says HK vaccination rate needs to be over 90 percent

Finally a prominent infectious disease expert is saying the zero-Covid strategy is unsustainable and we need to live with the coronavirus to get Hong Kong's economy up and moving again.

Dr Yuen Kwok-yuen said it's time to boost the vaccination rate -- up to over 90 percent and introduce vaccine passports as an incentive to get people jabbed. And it's possible the elderly death rate may spike because the virus will be in the community.

"If you announce the policy now, by March everyone should have received two doses. People cannot go to work or school if they're unvaccinated," he said, adding that Hong Kong could gradually resume international travel when its vaccination rate exceeds 90 percent.

People need to resume their lives, Yuen said

If so, by next summer the SAR could fully reopen if 99 percent of its residents have been triple-jabbed.

Yuen also warned there would inevitably be a "transitional period" of more than two months that would see a surge in deaths and infections, which has happened in other parts of the world, including Singapore.

He said the virus would spread among unvaccinated elderly people here after the resumption of international travel, which Yuen estimated to be 1,000 deaths or more. Hence the need to get the jab now.

But he stressed this is a phase the city must go through after reopening, adding it's best for it to happen in the summer when infections tend to be less serious.

Yuen said the government should act now or it would miss an important opportunity for people to resume normal lives.

There will be more deaths if not enough jabbed

The microbiologist also said the emergence of the Omicron variant was a chance for Hong Kong to reopen to the world, as the symptoms of vaccinated people would mostly be mild, even if they are infected (and are fully vaccinated).

He expressed hope that with such a plan, life in Hong Kong would resume to normal by the end of the year. 

As one of the government's expert advisors, Yuen is sticking his neck out for the rest of us by strongly suggesting we live with Covid like the rest of the world. What he says goes completely against Beijing's and Hong Kong's strategy, but it's realistic. We cannot keep living in a bubble forever.

Wonder how the government will react. So far, silence...

Will Omicron Spread in Hong Kong?

Chan (middle) says HK is ready for possible Omicron wave

Hong Kong recorded 14 new imported Omicron cases at the airport, the most in one day, causing health authorities to draw up contingency plans if the new highly contagious variant spreads in the community.

"Globally, the outbreak of Omicron and transmission speed is very fast... the risk to Hong Kong is also very high," said Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan Siu-chee.

Of the new cases, five were from Kazakhstan via South Korea, while the rest were from Germany, Ireland, Ghana, Australia, India and Spain. Hong Kong now has a total of 58 Omicron cases.

North Lantau Hospital has negative-pressure beds

Health Authority chairman Henry Fan Hung-ling, said if a fifth wave happens, the city would have enough public beds ready.

Currently there are 900 negative-pressure beds -- designed to handle patients with infectious diseases -- at the North Lantau Hospital Hong Kong Infection Control Centre, and Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung.

Fan added there are also about 1,000 first-tier isolation beds for more serious patients, and 600 second-tier beds for more stable cases at different public hospitals. 

"We now hope for the best, but prepare for the worst," he said.

However, when Chan was asked if Hong Kong would see a fifth wave coming, and how the city was preparing for it, this was her reply:

"First of all, before Christmas, I chaired a meeting together with the Department of Health and Hospital Authority, and of course the Food and Health Bureau, to discuss and prepare for our response plan in case Omicron has an outbreak in Hong Kong. 

More elderly need to be jabbed -- will they?

"We have discussed the prevention and response plan in particular our capacity -- testing capacity, our quarantine facilities, our isolation facilities, as well as what if Omicron really has an outbreak in Hong Kong, whether we need to tighten our social distancing measures, and so on.

"Of course, vaccination is the most important. Taking Covid-19 vaccine is an effective measure to protect ourselves, especially the elderly in Hong Kong who has a relatively low vaccination rate. Vaccination can protect them from Omicron and also from the outbreak. So this is number one."

Errr... did she answer the question?

Chan should be really answering the question to give the public confidence the government is preparing the possibility of Omicron, but also be more serious about getting the elderly vaccinated. The authorities really should be stepping up its efforts instead of just parroting the suggestion over and over again...

Once Omicron is in the community, it will be too late to get vaccinated!

Wild Boar Culling Continues

A baby wild boar rummaging through garbage for food

It is disturbing to find the Hong Kong government still insists on culling wild boars in "black spots" that show no fear and pose a risk to humans.

The head of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department said on Sunday that it has "humanely handled" 28 animals since the policy was introduced last month to euthanise problem boars.

"We have captured and humanely handled boars in five out of more than 60 black spots," Leung Siu-fai said on Sunday.

AFCD should advise how to deal with wild boars

The "capture and kill" policy for wild boars sparked an outcry from animal activists, calling on the government to reverse its strategy and instead step up its neutering program. They believe only a small fraction of boars have been neutered.

Yet Leung said the department would continue its operations at black spots.

"We will continue our strategy to protect the public's safety. That means we will continue to capture boars which appear regularly, are not afraid of people, and even pose a safety risk at black spots," he said.

"We will also, if there are referral cases, report on boars going to urban areas, and we will assess if they pose a risk, and if they do, we will also capture and remove them."

How will the officials be able to identify those that wander into urban areas more often than others? Do they have them all tracked? And where are these "black spots"? How about telling the public where they are so that they are more cautious next time?

Activists condemn capturing and killing boars

Leung also said there would be more efforts made to dissuade people from feeding boars and improve the design of garbage bins.

How about launching a large-scale education campaign on why people should not feed wild boars, and what they should do if they encounter these animals. The AFCD should also continue to neuter ones they capture to control the population.

The AFCD did a study two years ago and estimated there were from 1,800 to 3,300 wild boars in the countryside areas. According to a spokesman, the animals are naturally wary of humans, so it is rare they will attack people.

Why is the government so insistent on killing these animals when it is humans that are encroaching on their environment?

Tsang Angry at WSJ's Editorial -- Again

Tsang complains about WSJ editorial second time in a month

Constitutional affairs minister Erick Tsang Kwok-wai complained yet again to the Wall Street Journal about its editorial on Sunday's Legislative Council election, describing it as a "sham poll", and accusing the newspaper of "arrogance which knows no bounds".

It is the second time in a month that Tsang sent a strongly worded letter to complain the New York-based newspaper must correct its "inaccuracies".

"I am sickened by your biased and unsubstantiated editorials on Hong Kong issues and have given up hope that you will ever try to report accurately and fairly on Hong Kong," Tsang wrote in a letter dated on December 23.

Tsang (second left) retorts NY's voter turn out low

The opinion piece was titled: "Democracy Boycott in Hong Kong", which was published hours after voting closed on the first poll following the massive revamp of the electoral system.

The newspaper described the Legislative Council election as "a sham poll" in which democratic candidates were blocked from running", adding that "all candidates must receive Communist Party approval".

How is the second part incorrect? Because it was one-sided, the democratic candidates did not feel it was worth throwing their hats into the ring.

Tsang compared the poll's 30.2 percent turnout -- the lowest since 1997 -- to the 23 percent recorded in the recent New York mayoral contest, and the 33.3 percent of this year's French regional elections.''

"Following the logic of your argument, would you also suggest that 'almost nobody came to the election' in those two elections?" Tsang asked.

This is where Western countries have to be ashamed for their poor voter turnout, whereas in Australia you must vote otherwise you will be fined.

Only one non pro-Beijing candidate won

He also refers to a line in the editorial which said the news paper "seems to have a better feel for Hong Kong public sentiment than the government does", to which the minister countered: "I wonder how many times you have visited our city for you to be able to make such a claim. I am stunned by your arrogance which knows no bounds".

Earlier this month Tsang threatened to "take necessary action" against the WSJ over an editorial that he claimed incited residents to boycott the election or cast blank votes.

An opinion piece the following day disputed Tsang's December 6 letter and said he "seemed oblivious to the irony" when he started that Hong Kong upheld freedom of speech, the press and publication.

Tsang's knee-jerk reaction is so shrill and emotional, it's hard to take him that seriously...

More Tiananmen Memorials Disappear

The Goddess of Democracy is no longer at this spot at CUHK

Following the dismantling of the Pillar of Shame at the University of Hong Kong, two other tertiary institutions also took down memorials of Tiananmen late last night.

The Chinese University of Hong Kong took down a statue which is a replica of the Goddess of Democracy, which has stood on the campus since 2010, while Lingnan University took down a wall relief memorialising the crackdown.

Students held a vigil for the statue this afternoon

Both artworks were done by sculptor Chen Weiming, a Chinese-born New Zealand citizen who now lives in the United States.

In a statement, CUHK noted it had never approved a 2010 student union request to place the statue on campus and that its reasoning for the decision was a matter of public record.

"Following an internal assessment... CUHK has removed the statue," the statement said. "The university never authorised the display of the statue on its campus, and no organisation has claimed responsibility for its maintenance and management."

So if the university never approved the statue to be on campus in 2010, why did it take 11 years to remove it? Weak argument.

It added the two groups responsible for placing the statue on campus -- the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China, and its own student union -- had been disbanded.

Staff clean the spot where the statue stood

The alliance was forced to shut down, while CUHK cut ties with the student union in February and eight months later it disbanded. As if this reinforces its reasoning to remove the statue.

One fourth year student surnamed Woo was shocked to find the statue was gone.

"It is even more shocking that the government is afraid of a statue ... under these uncertain times, nothing is guaranteed and you never know when the last politically sensitive items will be removed," Woo said. 

CUHK students later held a vigil for the Goddess of Democracy on Friday afternoon, laying white flowers on printed pictures of the statue in the area where it stood. Others held drawings of the statue that said: "Missing. Have you seen her?" The word "mourn" was also spelled out with candles. 

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Lingnan University said its decision followed a recent review of items on campus that could pose legal or safety threats.

A relief about Tiananmen by Chen is now gone

"In the best interests of the university, the items in question have been cleared, or removed and stored appropriately," the spokesman said.

Aside from the relief, the university also painted over a wall painting of the Goddess of Democracy near the student union office with grey paint on Friday morning. The surrounding area was cordoned off between 7am and 9am, according to a students' representative.

Eric Tong Kin-lok, chairman of the ad hoc administrative committee of Lingnan University's student union, said the relief was dismantled with a circular saw into four pieces before being moved into a storage room.

"We strongly condemn the university's attempt to remove history," he said. "The university did not consult us before and did not even notify us."

Some students remarked that the Goddess of Democracy was a landmark for them to meet up. "We would say meet at the Goddess of Democracy, not the MTR station," one said, 

This wall painting was painted over in grey paint

Tong added that university security guards shone flashlights at students who were attempting to film the removal process, and also noted down their student ID details.

In 2010, Chen gave both the statue and the relief to the now-defunct alliance after being barred from entering Hong Kong, just two days before the candlelight vigil.

The Goddess of Democracy was subsequently displayed in Victoria Park that year before it was transported to the CUHK campus. Meanwhile the relief was displayed in several universities before it was finally placed in Lingnan University with permission of the administration. 

What's next? I'm too afraid to ask and find out.

We keep mourning what we have lost, and this year, it was a lot.

HKU Removes the Pillar of Shame

Workers move a piece of the sculpture overnight on Thursday

Two months after heads of the University of Hong Kong ordered the Tiananmen-themed sculpture Pillar of Shame removed, late last night it was taken apart in pieces which were wrapped up and then moved to HKU's Kadoorie Centre in Yuen Long, 30km away.

The surreptitious incident happened after 10pm when yellow plastic barricades were placed around the statue by Danish artist Jens Galschiot and workers in yellow hard hats began dismantling it around 3am, and bundled the pieces into a container truck which left the campus at 6.50am.

The Pillar of Shame originally looked like this

The HKU Council confirmed the removal of the eight-metre tall sculpture in a statement after the deed was done, saying the decision to take down the Pillar of Shame was made in light of "external legal advice and risk assessment" after a meeting on Wednesday.

"Latest legal advice given to the university cautioned that the continued display of the statue would pose legal risks... based on the Crimes Ordinance enacted under the Hong Kong colonial government," the statement said.

So it's not national security law related? Or any other law not related to NSL?

The council also said it was "very concerned about the potential safety issues resulting from the fragile statue" and noted that no official approval had ever been granted for its display. It had stood on campus since June 1997.

While the statement didn't give specifics on the potential legal risks, Section 10 of the Crimes Ordinance deals with acts with a seditious intent, including publications and displays of any seditious material, deemed a crime punishable by up to two years in prison and a HK$5,000 (US$641) fine for a first offence.

The artist is threatening compensation for damage

At Wednesday's council meeting, a large majority of the members -- most of whom are external stakeholders -- voted for the statue's removal.

It seems the council was prepared to remove the statue immediately after the meeting without asking other stakeholders on campus. This drew a lot of criticism not only the act of removing the sculpture, but also how it was done.

Legal scholar Eric Cheung Tat-ming said he could not see the rationale for citing Section 10 of the Crimes Ordinance to remove the pillar.

"The section has existed for a very long time and the statue was erected at HKU for years. Why did they not think the display had a [seditious] intention in the past, while suddenly they think it will violate the law?" Cheung said.

Indeed. We are all wondering the same thing.

And many critics have also pointed out for the university to take it apart in the middle of the night days before Christmas shows how cowardly the institution is in dealing with the issue. 

Interestingly the statue's removal comes two days before council chairman Arthur Li Kwok-cheung ends his term, and is days after the recent Legislative Council election to ensure "only patriots" hold power.

The statue was moved to Yuen Long

Li claimed on Sunday that it was still unclear who was the rightful owner of the sculpture, but artist Galschiot said Thursday it was his and accused the university of "destroying" the art work, and had ignored his offer to travel to Hong Kong to take it away.

"[HKU] will not talk to me," he said in a statement. "Countries around the world have offered to receive the Pillar of Shame, and the Danish foreign minister has offered his help -- but there has been no response from [HKU] or other responsible authorities."

He added: "It is my private property and the sculpture belongs to me personally... I will claim compensation for any damage to the sculpture. It is a disgrace and an abuse and shows that Hong Kong has become a brutal place without laws and regulations such as protecting the population, the arts and private property.

"And it's even more grotesque that they use the Western holiday Christmas to carry out the destruction of the artwork."

The aftermath of the removal is empty space

What is left is the yellow plastic hoarding and white plastic sheets over the area where the pillar was. Around the hoarding are pots of poinsettias as if to give the space a festive air.

The university has taken a hard line on the statue, which sparks questions around the future of freedom of speech and expression, as well as academic freedom on campus. More importantly it shows HKU complicit in following the government's lead in removing any reminders of what happened on June 4, 1989.

Will students there wish to continue studying at HKU following this incident? How do the alumnae feel?And what does this mean in terms of remembering Tiananmen? Will students and staff still be able to commemorate it in some way? Can the topic still be taught in class?

While administrators may think they are doing the right thing, they are destroying the foundations of the university, and Hong Kong too.

Tiniest Subsidised Flats for Sale

The subsidised flats occupy the former airport at Kai Tak

The Hong Kong Housing Authority's mandate is to provide affordable rental housing to low-income families with housing needs, and to help low- to middle-income families gain access to subsidised home ownership.

That's what it says in its website.

However next year's batch of subsidised homes the authority will sell will be as small as 186 square feet -- the equivalent of one and a half car parking spaces, the tiniest flats to be offered since the start of the Home Ownership Scheme in 1978.

The smallest flats will be 186 sq ft

The 320 small units are on the site of the former airport at Kai Tak, among the 8,925 subsidised flats to be for sale in the first quarter of next year.

About 30 percent of the new batch are smaller than 322 sq ft. Such flats are increasingly making up a bigger portion of the authority's supply, accounting for 22 percent in 2020, and 15 percent in 2019.

Francis Lam Ka-fai, vice-president of the Institute of Surveyors and its spokesman on housing policy said that while he supported the 49 percent discounts on the units, he slammed the micro-flats on offer, saying they had "become a joke".

"That's really undesirable. Why did [the authority] go for such small units? I don't know what their rationale is," he said. "In terms of the design, [anything] less than 200 sq ft is really undesirable for anybody." 

We fully agree.

The tiny flats may look like this. Appealing to you?

And to even qualify for this scheme, a single person can have a monthly salary of no more than HK$34,730 and assets worth no more than HK$925,000, while for households of two or more people, they must earn no more than $69,740 and own assets worth less than HK$1.85 million.

Who wants to live in 186 sq ft discounted HK$1.24 million (US$158,900)? What can you even fit in there? Can someone really live happily in such a tiny place? And they would have to live in it for 15 years before being allowed to sell it. 

If the government wants to encourage a higher birthrate, it really needs to build bigger subsidised flats to start with. How can one even get married let alone have children in 186 sq ft? Have these housing officials even seen how tiny that space is? 

It boggles the mind...

Picture of the Day: Crystal Jade Encourages Mask-Wearing

The mask holder at Crystal Jade shows a dumpling with mask

Tropical storm Rai threatened to bring in heavy rains today, but they never materialised and instead brought clear blue skies that haven't been seen for a few days.

However, yesterday was a washout in terms of trying to get some exercise done.

My friend and I had hoped to do some walking after work, but by the time we started, the rain drops increased and we quickly gave up and took the bus to Central where we walked around each floor of IFC mall twice. 

Then I tempted my friend with the suggestion of eating dinner at Crystal Jade which is in the mall.

We waited for about 15 minutes before getting a table, not bad considering it is the dinner rush.

As soon as we sat down I spied the mask holder -- actually a sheet of paper folded in half. 

On it was this cute cartoon drawing of a dumpling man?! Mr Dumpling wearing a mask!

"Together we fight Covid-19" it says. 

Love it!

While there are zero Covid-19 cases in the city for the past 74 days, there are 28 imported Omicron cases.

Who knows when this pandemic will end or if it will ever end...

But in the meantime, wear your mask! Mr Dumpling will thank you!

Democracy with Chinese Characteristics

The results of the Legco election came out this morning

Yesterday's Legislative Council election was a foregone conclusion. As expected, the pro-Beijing camp swept all the seats except one in a "patriots only" overhaul of Hong Kong's electoral system.

Only 30.2 percent of people cast votes, or 1.35 million, a record low since 1997. The last Legco election saw 58.3 percent of eligible residents head to the polls in 2016. 

Rowse was genuinely disappointed

There were some high-profile candidates in the race, including Allan Zeman, best known for developing Lan Kwai Fong into an entertainment district decades ago, and Mike Rowse, a former government official. The latter seemed really disappointed that he did not win a seat, saying that the Liaison Office had picked him and Zeman to win.

"My impression is that the central government was genuinely pleased with the diversity of candidates. It may share my disappointment that none were successful," he said.

Perhaps Rowse should have known the two of them represented the "diversity" part of the election, and that with most of the voters being elderly, there would be a very slim chance an English speaker would get more votes than he did.

In any event, the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB) is the biggest pro-Beijing party in the city, and it naturally won big, with a seat in each of the 10 geographical constituencies. 

One of its winners is Edward Leung-hei in Hong Kong Island East, who had campaigned to have an MTR station at Sai Wan Ho where there is already one since 1985, the same year he was born.

Leung won in Hong Kong Island East

Reverend Canon Peter Koon Ho-ming, who is best known for shielding the young man who killed his girlfriend in Taiwan that sparked the extradition bill and the protests that followed, has won a seat as a member of the election committee constituency. He is the first religious leader to join the legislature.

The only non pro-establishment candidate was Tik Chi-yuen, who founded the self-declared centrist party called Third Side. He won in the social welfare functional constituency.

Tik said he was surprised supporters of the pan-democratic camp had refused to vote this time, but vowed to keep his chin up despite the prospect of facing 89 opponents in the legislature alone.

"The pan-democratic bloc has always been the minority in Legco and they have never won when it comes to voting [on bills]," the 63-year-old said. "But I am sure I can still exert my influence and get the government to listen to me."

Tik is the only non pro-establishment to win seat

We wish him luck.

Just as the results were trickling in today, Beijing released its white paper titled: "Hong Kong: Democratic Progress Under the Framework of One Country, Two Systems."

The report said the Communist Party of China "has championed whole process people's democracy in China, and this has laid the groundwork for developing democracy in Hong Kong under the framework of One Country, Two Systems."

"Over the past century, the CPC has led the Chinese people on a long and arduous journey to establish a model of democracy with Chinese characteristics", enabling them "to run their own country with extensive and substantive democratic rights," it states.

To put an end to the months of anti-government protests in Hong Kong, Xinhua news agency quoted the white paper as saying the CPC and Beijing took measures to restore order, returning the city's democratic process to a sound footing.

"With their political vision, the CPC and the Chinese government are certain of the long-term success of the socialist system on the mainland," the white paper said.

Beijing's white paper on HK's democracy overhaul

"They are equally certain of the long-term success of both the capitalist system in Hong Kong and a form of democracy suited to its realities."

With "improvements to the electoral system", the paper concludes, "governance by patriots will be further strengthened, rule of law and the business environment will continue to improve, and Hong Kong will become a more harmonious society".

It definitely sounds like democracy with Chinese characteristics.

It's pretty certain Beijing has been eager to present to the world its own version of democracy through this election and the ones to come, to prove that it brings peace and stability to the city.

With almost all the pro-democratic activists and lawmakers in jail or waiting trial or in exile, it's no doubt China's version of democracy will prevail.

But will it bring about a harmonious society? Perhaps the increasing emigration numbers are a sign...

Taking Election Benefit of Free Rides

Carrie Lam cast her vote this morning to kick off elections

The polling stations closed over an hour ago in the first revamped Legislative Council election and as of 9.30pm there were 29.28 percent of eligible voters who cast their ballots,  the lowest ever turnout for an election since 1997. The lowest was in 2000 at 43.57 percent.

Hmmm we wonder why.

Only some of the dim sum we ordered

There may be table banging in the Liaison Office in Western District tonight, wondering which bright person came up with the idea of giving all Hongkongers free rides on public transport (except ferries and buses going to the airport), as places like Disneyland and Ocean Park were packed with people.

The MTR constantly sent messages to subscribers, telling them taking the subway was free all day and there was no need to use the Octopus card, while buses had passengers use their card to count the number of people (presumably to bill the government later).

My friend and I took advantage of the free fares by going from Wan Chai to Hung Hom to go to Sheung Shui, where we went to get some dim sum (we were too hungry and over ordered).

Lining up for First Class - and we got a seat!

Then we got back on the train -- first class -- to Tai Wai, where we changed trains to go all the way on the newest line to Wu Kai Sha. Then we immediately went across the platform and too the opposite train back all 28 stops to Tuen Mun. 

From there we got out and took the light rail to Tuen Mun City Centre and got on the bus (that was just boarding) to go to Tung Chung and then ended up at City Gate to split a peanut butter and chocolate Cinnabon washed down with lemonade soda before taking the train back home.

The Tung Chung station was packed with people -- staff had tried to slow down the number of people going down to the platform, which was hard to do and they seemed to give up.

Phew! What a ride! By the time we took the train back to Hong Kong island at 5pm it was packed with people.

Rewarded ourselves with a Cinnabon

My whole transit fare would have cost HK$101 (US$13). I thought it would be more, but it was a good six hours well spent (and fed).

What we'd really like to know is how big the bill is for all the free public transit, sending out text messages urging people to vote, all the banners placed all over the city advertising the election, and for all 40,000 polling staff, and 10,000 police.

Was it really worth it?

An Historic Election to Come

Lee (right) talks to polling staff to prepare for tomorrow

On the eve of the Legislative Council election, Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Erick Tsang Kwok-wai says the government has not set a target for turnout, and accused anti-China forces of trying to undermine the poll by calling for a boycott.

He said on a radio program that he had noticed some foreign forces had appealed to people to cast blank votes while saying that a low turnout would mean that the new electoral system is a failure.

Lee warns "foreign forces" will not succeed

Tsang failed to explain who these "foreign forces" were, and why they would be so keen to spoil this election.

He said their "plot" would not succeed as whatever they did would not change the fact that Hong Kong is part of China and that it is determined to restore order in the SAR.

Meanwhile Chief Secretary John Lee Ka-chiu says this weekend's Legco elections will be the largest ever -- with a record number of election staff on hand to help voters cast their ballots.

"This election is the largest in scale in Hong Kong's history. A record high of some 40,000 electoral staff will carry out duties related to polling and counting procedures," Lee told workers.

"To enable this election to be conducted smoothly, electoral staff should be committed to work, familiarise themselves with the procedures, and be flexible and adaptive to changes. I call on every colleague to be diligent and devote your full strength to help the government to run this historic election for Hong Kong."

The SMS people received on their phones today

This morning many people reported on Twitter that they received a text message from the government encouraging people to vote -- something it has never done previously.

"Cast your vote for HK -- our Home! LegCo Election is important to you and HK's future! Please vote at your polling station (08.30-22.30) on 19 Dec (Sun)."

Many also noted it was strange for them to get the message considering they were not permanent residents and so they were not eligible to vote...

Student Population Continues to Shrink

Some 6,200 students have left HK since the summer

There is a more accurate picture forming in the Hong Kong education system when it comes to fewer students attending schools.

Since the summer holidays, 6,200 pupils in primary and secondary schools have left, with districts having elite schools being hit the hardest.

Fewer students in Form Six quit school

The latest monthly figures were released on Friday by the Education Bureau, that showed there were 6,016 and 193 vacancies at primary and secondary schools respectively between August and the end of November.

The figures are generally interpreted as the number of students quitting government or subsidised schools. 

In November, 824 students left the public secondary school system. Some principals say it is rare for students to quit in the middle of the school term, which runs from September to December.

More than half of the withdrawals in November came mainly from Forms One to Three, while Form Six students, who will sit the university entrance exam next year, have the lowest number of dropouts at 65.

Kowloon City, which has more elite schools than the other 17 districts in Hong Kong, reported the highest number of dropouts in November, with 118 students from Forms One to Six.

Most of students leaving are from elite schools

Lau Chun-hung, chairman of the Hong Kong Subsidised Secondary Schools Council, said the withdrawal trend was likely sparked by the wealthy and middle-class families, whose children studied in well-known schools and later emigrated. Districts that are less well-off have seen fewer students quitting.

The council will meet with the Education Bureau to discuss how to tackle the problem of a shrinking pupil population after gathering more information on applications for secondary school places in January, Lau added.

Dion Chen, chairman of the Hong Kong Direct Subsidy Scheme Schools Council, said almost all of the secondary schools needed to process withdrawal applications from students every month.

"The situation is [exacerbated] by the border reopening of some countries, such as Australia [which had been closed to foreigners amid the coronavirus pandemic]," Chen said, adding that more students were expected to withdraw after the term break. 

Chen says students are going overseas

Not only are students leaving but teachers too, which in a way evens out a bit. It's not like companies losing a bunch of employees and so employers try to entice people to stay with pay rises or more perks. It's an ongoing trend and the Education Bureau will probably have to close some schools unless the border between China and Hong Kong opens anytime soon...