Opposition Parties Struggling Financially to Stay Alive

Political parties used to raise lots of money from stalls like this

 

With the implementation of the national security law last June that led to the arrest of 47 pan-democratic lawmakers and activists, and now the overhaul of the electoral system, the opposition in the Legislative Council has been decimated literally and also financially.

Opposition parties are losing their main sources of fundraising from participating in rallies, Chinese New Year flower market stalls, and holding annual dinners because of the coronavirus pandemic. And now there is the added pressure that crowdfunding online has led to people involved being arrested for money laundering, thus scaring donors away.

Leong says Civic Party can only last a few months

And now with so many pan-democrats charged with crimes including violating the national security law, much of the money is now being spent on legal fee to defend them.

"The problem is, if you're donating to a party which is accused of subversion, would you not think twice before digging into your purse?" Civic Party chairman Alan Leong Kah-kit said.

Several members of the party are being detained for alleged national security offences and have also recently quit the party, which is the second-biggest in the opposition camp.

Leong revealed the Civic Party now has just enough money to continue for another four or five months unless it received more funding.

Meanwhile the Democratic Party has launched its fundraising campaign by selling raffle tickets for HK$20 each with prizes ranging from an Apple iPad, Dyson purifier and Apple watch.

Democratic Party now holding raffle ticket sales

The party's fundraising chairman, Ramon Yuen Hoi-man said he expected to spend at least HK$10 million this year, much of it used to defend members in court.

To raise other funds, the Democratic Party sold property in Lai Chi Kok but still needs an additional HK$4 million hopefully from raffle ticket sales to stay afloat.

"When I look at the balance sheets, this is the worst of the worst I have seen since I joined the party [10 years ago]," he said.

Yuen added the mass resignation of the lawmakers in Legco also hit the Democratic Party financially, as they would usually contribute 10 percent of their salary, which made up 10 percent of the annual income. In 2019 the members donated HK$1.3 million.

Leong of the Civic Party can't even consider thinking about running for the Legco elections in December when the party may not financially survive until then.

Ng says street booths have fewer donations now

The League of Social Democrats is also facing money problems, as fundraising through street booths has resulted in much lower donations than during the protests.

"We could collect up to HK$400,000 to HK$500,000 on those occasions," said Avery Ng Man-yuen, vice-chairman of the League of Social Democrats.

It's a sad state of affairs to see the opposition in such financial straits. This may be the beginning of the end of them being crushed financially and their donors either not having enough money themselves to donate or are concerned about getting into trouble making contributions.

Beijing must be pleased to see this happening, easily crushing the opposition by financially strangling them...

Picture of the Day: Freedom of Speech

So this front page ad appeared on the Apple Daily today, mocking CY Leung

Is freedom of speech dying in Hong Kong?

In the past 20 years I would say so, but perhaps today's edition of Apple Daily proved that freedom of speech and freedom of the press are still alive and well.

Today's front page featured a picture of a smiling Leung with a cartoon black hat drawn on top of him with a red star tho show his Communist leanings.

It suggested Leung head north quickly to replace Xi Jinping

The ad also suggests Leung should head north as soon as possible to replace President Xi Jinping and rule China. The ad also expresses concern for "Comrade Leung", wondering why he is so "lonely and bored" that he feels he needs to monitor Apple Daily's advertisements on a daily basis.

It also says Hong Kong is too small for Leung to shine and he would do better by becoming president, and locals would gladly fund his one-way ticket to Beijing.

Whoa. And wow.

The front-page advertisement was crowd funded by political activist Avery Ng Man-yuen, who was acquitted on appeal last month for throwing a tuna sandwich at the former Hong Kong leader.

Originally Leung had not only traded barbs with Ng, but also criticized Apple Daily for its negative coverage of mainlanders. Leung urged consumers to boycott companies that advertised in the local newspaper, even listing them on his Facebook page, which prompted the Hong Kong Journalists' Association to express "deep concern" over the impact that this might have on these advertisers.

The ad was the brainchild of political activist Avery Ng

And so Ng decided to retaliate by announcing a crowd-funding campaign last Tuesday to raise HK$120,000 (US$15,294) for the front page of Apple Daily. He made his goal 24 hours later and by Thursday 988 people had donated HK$167,000.

Looks like a lot of people were willing to help Ng make the ad a reality.

The leftover money will be used for a future advertisement, says Ng.

On Facebook, Leung "thanked" Ng for the coverage and claimed the full-page ad would only increase Hongkongers' awareness of Apple Daily's unfair reporting.

"You can find a lot of examples of advertisers boycotting the media in democratic countries in the West," Leung wrote. "I urge Ng to continue with his campaign. Next time it will be best if he runs an ad in English."

The ad today was the talk of the town on social media

Leung also took issue with the ad being sponsored by "Hong Kong People's Patience Limited" and questioned both Ng and Apple Daily if there really was such a registered company. It is a criminal offense for anyone not incorporated with limited liability to use, trade or carry on business under the name or title of a limited company.

Ng declined to say if the company was real or not and if his next advertisement would be in English.

"I reserve the right to respond with any means. But if Leung is taking the ad seriously, he should also respond to people's discontent over his interference with Hong Kong's freedom of the press," said Ng.

Things got really interesting today, and even better Apple Daily financially benefited from it. The paper is struggling these days with fewer advertisers willing to put ads in it. Seems like Leung is doing everything he can to kill the paper, but it's not done quite yet.

Where and when will Ng strike next? Stay tuned.

The Straddling Bus is Dead

This hybrid bus was supposed to alleviate traffic and air pollution -- not!

Guess it was too bizarre to be true.

The Chinese-designed "straddling bus" that was supposed to allow cars to run underneath it has reached the end of the road.

It was originally hailed as "the future of public transport" because it was supposed to be a bus-train hybrid that would create less air pollution and transport commuters faster by avoiding traffic jams.

Less than a year after its unveiling, the bus has gathered dust

However, the widely hyped vehicle in the city of Qinhuangdao was dogged by difficulties and controversies. Local residents complained that the straddling bus was a traffic obstacle, making it hard for cars underneath to see, while the straddling bus would have difficulties making turns and there were questions if it could sustain its own weight and that of its passengers.

"It can only run on wide and straight roads," said Sun Zhang, a transport professor at Tongji University in Shanghai. "In big cities where roads are winding and jammed [with traffic], such roads are in short supply."

State media outlet The Global Times criticized the project for being "stuck in a concept with no real breakthrough", and for not realistically taking traffic problems into account.

The paper was also critical of the Transit Elevated Bus (TEB)'s funding source using peer-to-peer investment platforms. Huaying Kailai, the parent company of TEB Tech, which was to produce the bus, had reportedly raised billions of yuan online by convincing investors they were getting in on the ground floor of the next big thing.

Workers are dismantling the test site in Qinghuangdao

But it seems the company spent less than 200 million yuan (US$29.2 million) on research and development. And it doesn't seem like the project was ever approved by local authorities, as many government departments denied any connection with the project or gave it their blessing.

So now workers have begun dismantling the test site and will demolish it by the end of the month. Meanwhile the giant vehicle that is covered in dust -- less than a year after its debut -- will be moved to a nearby parking lot to wait for further action.

The "straddling bus" is now officially a dud.

Wonder what the next big thing will be...

Trying to Preserve Tai O

Tai O fishing village is Hong Kong's "Venice of the East"

The other day I went to Tai O for a work assignment, and today I remembered there's a teacher there who wants to try to raise greater interest in the sleepy fishing village on Lantau.

Solomon Au Yeung has been teaching at the primary school there for the past two years and has grown to love the area -- so much so that he has started an IndiGoGo page to raise an ambitious US$150,000 to be able to rent a shop space and sell local souvenirs and snacks, and it would be the meeting point where guides could take visitors around.

On his crowdfunding page he writes: "As more and more of the locals are moving out for work, some of the traditional stores may have to close down once the original owners retire, [sic] it's a pity to see their products/handicrafts (which not only are of high quality, but more importantly, reflect the cultural value of the place) have to disappear all of a sudden..."

Solomon Au Yeung wants to help preserve Tai O's culture

He wants to set up a "Cultural Concept Store" to preserve the local heritage, and take tourists around on tours.

Sounds all neat in theory, but the reality is that so far no one has donated any money because he's asking a lot from donors who don't know much about Tai O. He should really be pitching the Hong Kong Tourism Board which has the money to help fund his cause.

But we admire his willingness to put himself out there and try to sell his idea to potential patrons.

Tai O used to be a thriving area with lots of fish and seafood that the villagers would make into salted fish, fish sauce, and dried seafood. Today you can see some stalls selling dried fish maw and conpoy.

A lot of young people have moved away from Tai O to be closer to town for work, and so elders are left minding the store (literally).

It's a very laid-back place, where you don't even need to lock your door, air conditioning is sparse and people get around by foot or on bicycles.

The only time the place is busy is on the weekends or special holidays like Dragon Boat Festival; otherwise it's a pretty quiet neighbourhood.

We'll have to check back on Au Yeung's page to see how he goes.

Here's his page: www.indiegogo.com/projects/building-a-cultural-concept-store-in-hong-kong-community#/