Local Tourist in Kowloon

M+ looks like a hard drive in West Kowloon

 

The coronavirus pandemic has turned many Hongkongers into tourists in our own town. This afternoon we did the same, walking from West Kowloon all the way to Kowloon Bay, a 15k stretch that surprisingly was accessible for the most part. 

The pavilion inside Xiqu Centre has disappeared

However starting the walk was a bit frustrating. We got out of Kowloon MTR station, but then it took a while to figure out where to get out -- it turns out the exit is near the ice rink -- which sadly at the moment is half melted.

Once we got out we were confronted with lots of water barriers here and there, and the place is still pretty much a construction site. We managed to get across to the area closest to the water and saw the Palace Museum being constructed, which will house a temporary exhibition of items from Beijing's Forbidden City. 

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor got a lot of flak for not having a proper public consultation of the project, and instead just announced that it would happen in December 2016. Even those involved in the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority didn't even know about the project, and the architect, Rocco Design Architects  was chosen without a tender. 

Smoked salmon on toast with passion fruit tea

Workers were installing the gold metal perforated sheets on the outside of the building, which is expected to be completed next year.

M+ is the new museum for visual culture, and so far it looks like a giant... hard drive. But upon closer inspection, it seems to be made of what looks like black bamboo poles. Interesting!

The park area is occupied by many young families and people with dogs. Many domestic helpers set up small tents to hang out for the day. 

Not soon after we passed by Xiqu Centre, for traditional Chinese opera. The last time I visited, there was a Chinese-style pavilion in the middle with a tree, but that seems to have been taken away and is empty now, pretty sad looking. One of the restaurants is actually open with customers in it which is good to see. Perhaps an alternative dining spot for people in the area?

We then headed down Canton Road towards the Star Ferry and interesting to see people lining up at luxury brands to go shopping. Previously it would be mainlanders queuing up but now it's locals... but why Gucci?

Cute painting of a ferry at the Hung Hom pier

Then we walked along Avenue of the Stars and passed by the InterContinental that shut down in April. The other day I had lunch with the former executive director of communications for the hotel who was laid off at the end of June. She said she and some 20 others were left behind to literally pack up everything in the building, plates, glasses, and put them into boxes and label them.

After we passed Tsim Sha Tsui East, we headed up a bridge that quickly took us to Hung Hom, another scenic area where we took a break at NOC for a snack before powering on.

However, the waterfront promenade just kind of ended at a complex of flats and we had to walk around to get back onto another part of the waterfront towards Kai Tak, which is still a massive construction site.

When we were at Harbour City we were accosted by many real estate agents promoting a new complex called Monaco and then in Kai Tak we saw it being built. Ahhh, the pre-sale, but not many takers from what we saw.

Wanna buy a flat in a development called Monaco?

Finally after a bit of a detour we made it to Mega Box, a large orange shopping mall in Kowloon Bay. Needless to say the Ikea in there was not socially distanced, as lots of people went through there to look at and buy furniture. Afterwards we walked a block away to the bus terminus to take the bus to Causeway Bay and then I took the MTR home.

Lots of exercise and had another perspective of Kowloon side I'd never been before!

After Hiatus, Hong Kong Protests Erupt Again

Hong Kong police surrounding the Prince Edward MTR station last night

 

Yesterday marked the six-month anniversary of the August 31 incident at the Prince Edward MTR station, where protesters were attacked by Hong Kong police and some people believe three people died at the scene and were unaccounted for, despite no evidence.

Since then people have been coming to a particular MTR exit in the district and have built a make-shift memorial covered in flowers and candles. The police have repeatedly tried to clear it out, but protesters keep coming back and rebuilding the memorial.

A policeman pulled out his handgun to defend himself

Now it has been six months and the Hong Kong government is no closer to resolving the eight months of protests let alone authorize an independent investigation into police brutality. And even though there are fears of the coronavirus spreading in the city, protesters came suitably masked to commemorate the violent anniversary, though the police were there too.

Pepper spray was unleashed at close range, along with tear gas. And a bonus -- a policeman brandished his handgun as protesters threw bricks, stones and bamboo sticks at him. He had fallen away from the rest of the group (obviously not following orders) and so he was desperately defending himself with a live weapon that he thankfully did not fire.

In the end 115 people were arrested, but in the end how many will be charged?

This morning Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo Po bemoaned the incident last night, warning how these violent protests along with the coronavirus were impacting Hong Kong severely.

Petrol bombs were thrown in Prince Edward, tear gas fired

"The blocking of roads and the use of petrol bombs in Mongkok [on Saturday]... was worrying," Chan said in a television talk show on Sunday. "If violent clashes continue, that would harm citizens' safety, hurt consumer sentiment and affect business."

This he said could affect the city economically.

"Foreign businessmen in Hong Kong have started to ask themselves if they should move their families out of Hong Kong, and if they need to have other plans for their businesses," he said.

But these foreign businessmen (and women) also know that it is the government that has done nothing to resolve the tension in the city, creating an even greater divide in how we tackle the coronavirus. Seventeen years ago everyone was united in fighting SARS, but now a divided city makes it harder to overcome this epidemic that can soon become a pandemic.

Dr Gabriel Leung says the clinics help fight the coronavirus

Also last night petrol bombs were thrown at the South Kwai Chung Jockey Club General Outpatient Clinic, which is one of 18 designated medical facilities for screening patients with minor respiratory symptoms of infection. Protesters don't want this happening near where they live, fearing they will have a higher chance of being infected with the coronavirus.

Dozens also protested at three other clinics in Shau Kei Wan, Yau Ma Tei and Kowloon Bay, demanding the government find other locations not near residential neighbourhoods.

But infectious disease expert Professor Gabriel Leung of the University of Hong Kong said it was a matter of practicality and empathy.

"Would you rather have these Hong Kong patients walking around on the streets, looking for clinics? Or would you rather have them going to a designated clinic which would be put under very strict protective measures?" he said. "Even if you are selfish, you would want them to seek help as soon as possible."

Residents protesting the clinic being used for coronavirus tests

Looks like the government (and health experts) need to communicate more with the public in explaining what the authorities are doing to screen people in a methodical way using the utmost safety precautions, but at the same time reassuring them so they aren't terrified.

It's difficult to strike a balance for sure, and on the whole Hong Kong should be commended for doing a pretty good job so far thanks to almost everyone wearing masks and washing hands often.

But in the meantime we shouldn't be surprised to see more protests on the streets. It ain't over yet...

Panic Ensues in Hong Kong

The massive line of people in Kowloon Bay hoping to buy masks today

Is Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor really qualified to be Chief Executive?

Yesterday a company in Kowloon Bay announced on social media that it was selling 11,000 boxes of masks today and immediately people began lining up in front of the store in the afternoon, making the shop owner very distressed to see Hongkongers willing to wait in line overnight. Of course the line was massive.

Carrie Lam continues to stir confusion on wearing masks

Did Lam see this line with her own eyes? Did she try to procure more masks for the general public?

And then this afternoon I was out on an assignment in Olympian City when I saw a few elderly people carrying several packs of toilet paper. Was this a coincidence? Afterwards I went to the gym where one of the changing room attendants told me there was a run on toilet paper because a message circulated on social media saying China won't export anymore toilet paper, or that the suppliers are shut and won't replenish stock.

Then the changing room attendant asked her friend to go buy some toilet paper and everywhere she went in Central they were all cleaned out. I thought this was ridiculous and before I went home, I checked out three places -- the local pharmacy, a store that sells household cleaning supplies and the supermarket, and they were all sold out of toilet paper, and tissues.

Store shelves were cleaned out of... toilet paper today

Luckily I had just bought a pack of toilet paper a few days ago because I was running out, but this is insane.

Toilet paper manufacturers and supermarkets denied China will not export toilet paper, but everyone has lost trust in the government and so they are trying to fend for themselves... with rolls of toilet paper or tissues.

What's next after masks, rice and toilet paper?

The mis- and dis-information on social media has whipped everyone into a frenzy, freaking out about anything. When SARS happened 17 years ago, people were very worried, but not to the point where they went on panic buying sprees.

And now our fearless leader has realized that the coronavirus has infected local people who have not traveled in the last few weeks. Hong Kong now has 21 cases.

"It is worrying... the coming 14 days will be the key," Lam said today in a press conference.

How much toilet paper do you really need?

So she has announced people coming to Hong Kong from the mainland, regardless if they are local residents or not, must undergo 14 days of quarantine. However, she gave no specifics on where they would be quarantined and how it would be regulated. Even better, this latest measure doesn't start until midnight February 8.

Shouldn't have Lam enacted this measure ages ago? 

Oh and she actually apologized for giving people mixed messages about not wearing masks. Everyone from all political stripes criticized her for adding to the panic of finding masks, and ignoring the public's concerns.

Today she said she didn't mean to imply there was a complete ban on civil servants wearing masks, and that she only meant officials at public events could take the lead in reducing the use of masks when it's not necessary to wear them.

Some of Lam's ministers wore masks as they were "unwell"

Huh? We're supposed to wear them as soon as we step outside and are in public space, no?

At the press conference Lam again didn't wear a mask, where as some of the senior ministers sitting next to her did. When asked why, she replied:

"There are circumstances that the advice is to put on a surgical mask, including if that individual is unwell. I'm sorry to see that several of my colleagues are unwell, and of course that may be the case because they're in frequent interaction in a health setting," Lam explained.

Err, if they are not well, maybe they shouldn't be attending these press conferences to start with?

Lam and her administration continue to confuse and confound...

HK Police Behavour Continues to Spiral

A protester throws back a canister of tear gas back at the police

Although we are not in Hong Kong, we're watching events as closely as possible and the behaviour of the police continue to deteriorate, arresting anyone in their way who haven't even committed a crime. How is this rule of law? It's just creating an administrative nightmare for the legal system.

Tens of thousands marched peacefully in the streets in Sunday

We are mortified to see a young man having lunch with his father in Amoy Gardens in Kowloon Bay and the former is suddenly arrested for what? His father is angry and scared, following the police taking his son away. What did his son do?

Meanwhile another proposed march by the Civil Human Rights Front was banned on Sunday from Causeway Bay to Chater Garden, and yet tens of thousands of people came out anyway, angry about too many things. However, an illegal march just gives the police any reason to arrest anyone or inflict more violence on protesters in the area.

Meanwhile tonight in North Point an unmasked man punched two journalists -- one I know -- and yet the police right there don't even arrest the man who provoked the violence. What is going on?

Congress MUST pass🇭🇰Human Rights & Democracy Act to hold Carry Lam & her entire Executive Council accountable for this kind of injustice & human rights abuse. https://t.co/QPKs2JMnnD

— Solomon Yue (@SolomonYue) September 15, 2019

How does Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor sleep at night?

Oh wait she doesn't consider young people to have a stake in society because they haven't contributed to the development of Hong Kong.

How does Carrie Lam think she can make things fine in HK?

The Hong Kong government is so desperate to tell the outside world that the city is still open for business and yet its call to top global public relations companies to help restore its reputation has gone unheeded.

None of the top four PR firms even offered to put in a bid for the job.

That's how low the Hong Kong government has fallen -- these PR experts think the government's reputation is unsalvageable.

How does Lam think she will ever have control over the city? How does she think she can gain the confidence of investors again? More importantly how does she think she will ever gain the trust of Hongkongers to have honest, mutual dialogue?

Hong Kong's New Anthem

Singing has become another creative way to protest against the government

Moderate protesters have found another way to gather and voice their demands to the government -- by singing.

People gather nightly in malls to sing Glory to Hong Kong

In the last few nights people, mostly in black, head to shopping malls in the city and sing Glory to Hong Kong, apparently written by a local composer.

They have sung this unofficial anthem in places like Amoy Plaza in Kowloon Bay, Plaza Hollywood in Diamond Hill, Festival Walk in Kowloon Tong, Moko in Mongkok and New Town Plaza in Sha Tin.

《願榮光歸香港》

何以　這土地　淚再流
何以　令眾人　亦憤恨
昂首　拒默沉　吶喊聲　響透
盼自由　歸於　這裡

何以　這恐懼　抹不走
何以　為信念　從沒退後
何解　血在流　但邁進聲　響透
建自由　光輝　香港

在晚星　墜落　徬徨午夜
迷霧裡　最遠處吹來　號角聲
捍自由　來齊集這裡　來全力抗對
勇氣　智慧　也永不滅

黎明來到　要光復　這香港
同行兒女　為正義　時代革命
祈求　民主與自由　萬世都不朽
我願榮光歸香港

New Town Plaza in Sha Tin this evening

Why are the tears flowing in this land again?

Why is something causing everyone to be angry?

Chin up. Don't be silent. The sound of shouts fills the air

Hoping for freedom to return to this place.

Why can't this fear be wiped away?

Why do the faithful never retreat?

Why does the blood flow but the advancing sounds fill the air?

Build freedom. Bring glory to Hong Kong

The night stars fall. Darkness fills the air

In the fog, the sound of horns billows from afar.

Defend freedom. Come gather in this place. Fight with all your strength.

Courage and wisdom will never be extinguished

Dawn has come. We must bring glory to this Hong Kong

The children that walk with us, for justice we have a revolution now

Pray for democracy and freedom everlasting

I wish for glory to return to Hong Kong.

CARRIE! Are you listening???

Police Brutality Knows No Bounds

A couple begging the police not to hit them anymore in the MTR carriage

This weekend has been too depressing news-wise. I cannot erase the horrific images in my mind of the young couple in the MTR carriage at Prince Edward who were mercilessly beaten by riot police. The couple was cowering in fear and afterwards were clutching each other so hard, in shock at what had just happened to them.

Will the police ever apologize for how they have terrorized them?

Riot police indiscriminately attacked people in MTR stations

And the rest of us for that matter? For that it has made a number of Hongkongers hate the police even more.

How can they just randomly beat people with batons on a wild rampage?

Just as shocking was the police not allowing first aiders to help those who were injured in the various stations. There's a heartbreaking video of a young first aider who is begging the police to allow him in, even saying they can beat him up, that he only wants to treat people.

When his pleas fall on deaf ears he sinks down on the ground and wails. There isn't much anyone can do to comfort him. In another station, three first aiders were forced to stand with their face to the wall and not help anyone. It's shocking and outrageous.

Moments before the police attacked the young couple

As far as I know there are no rallies planned this week, but perhaps someone will organize one to condemn such insane police brutality. July 21 we saw white-shirted men attacking people in Yuen Long MTR station and not a police officer in sight. And now on August 31 scores of riot police on a mission to hit anyone in their way, even slamming a young woman into the wall at Kowloon Bay MTR station.

It seems the MTR is now the new battleground ever since the public transportation network was criticized by Chinese state media for aiding and abetting protesters. This is hardly true. They are providing transportation for everyone.

But now that so much violence has happened in the MTR, will people be terrified to take it?

Tonight after the MTR shut down the line at Tung Chung (because protesters had vandalized it), they were were forced to walk from the airport to Tsing Yi, a four-hour walk, that some journalists had to do as well as they followed them.

Thousands make the long march from the airport to Tsing Yi

Along the way some people with cars handed out food and water to the protesters and some offered rides. At Tsing Yi scores of people with cars came out and gave some of them rides to where they needed to go.

There is one month to go before Xi Jinping's big 70th anniversary bash for the People's Republic of China, but protesters are far from ready to give up their fight...

The Battle Continues in Kowloon

Protesters were back putting out tear gas on the streets in Kwun Tong today

The peaceful protests last weekend ended today with police firing numerous rounds of tear gas in Kowloon Bay, Wong Tai Sin and Sham Shui Po so far. About 18 people have been arrested and there have been a few serious injuries involving their faces. It's not good.

What has made the situation worse is the MTR has made it harder for everyone to get around. After criticism from Beijing for allegedly aiding and abetting the protesters, the MTR got a court injunction to arrest anyone who vandalizes the stations and trains, or blocks carriages, which is fine, but now it has prevented people from using it whenever there is a demonstration.

Residents angry they can't access the MTR this afternoon

This afternoon the MTR warned it would shut down Kwun Tong station because of the police sanctioned march there. That left residents in the area unable to use the public transport system to get to work or do their shopping or even to come home. They were furious with the MTR staff, and no one senior enough was around to take the verbal abuse.

Perhaps the MTR or Beijing was hoping this harder stance would make it harder for protesters to show up at the march, but the plan backfired. And since the MTR is majority owned by the Hong Kong government, by extension the residents were angry at their government. And again there is no recourse, as everyone needs to use the MTR and taxpayer dollars go there too. So... again this is why Hongkongers need universal suffrage!

Beijing has strong armed Cathay Pacific and now the MTR. Who is next?

One piece of good news is that British consulate employee Simon Cheng Man-kit has been released and is now back in Hong Kong with his family. There was also a group of 10 university students who were detained in Tibet, but they have also been released now.

One protester puts his tennis racquet to good use

Why would anyone want to go to Chinese these days?

Now that Hong Kong is in the international spotlight, China is trying desperately to put up a curtain and say, "Nothing going on here, move along".

A letter sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, says "the so-called 'anti-amendment' is nothing more than a hyped-up pretext," writes Hua Chunying, director general of the Information Department.

"When you look at the current situation, you'll find that those radical, violent and criminal behaviors have gone far beyond freedom of speech and peaceful assembly. They have seriously threatened the safety of Hong Kong residents and their property, severely undermined Hong Kong's rule of law and social order, gravely challenged the bottom line of 'one country, two systems', and pushed Hong Kong to a dangerous brink."

Hua's letter dated August 20 was sent to over 30 foreign media outlets. 

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Hua Chunying

First of all, what is this "anti-amendment" she is talking about? If she means the anti-extradition protests, they have been dragging out so long because the Hong Kong government has done nothing to address this issue.

Is Hong Kong at a "dangerous brink"? Not yet no. But she is repeating what Beijing has said before. If repeated enough, perhaps people will believe it.

She then advises journalists to take up their "social responsibility and make reports that are neutral, objective, impartial and comprehensive so that your coverage may help those protesters ignorant of the truth to get back on the right path, and help those who have been seriously misled to come to a rational and fair judgment".

That sounds eerily like Uighurs who have been led astray by Islam and need to be sent to concentration camps to be "reeducated".

Again the language shows a hardline paternalistic attitude towards Hong Kong and young people...  

McDonald's: For Food and Refuge

There are a few hundred people sleeping in McDonald's on a regular basis

There are a lot of assumptions made about people who are down and out in Hong Kong. We think it has to do with someone's financial situation, but our perception of someone being "poor" should change, and we should have more empathy for them.

Some of these people hang out in McDonald's for long stretches of time -- some even falling asleep there. They are called McRefugees or McSleepers, and there was worldwide attention in 2015 when an elderly woman was found dead 24 hours after she walked into the McDonald's in Kowloon Bay.

Meanwhile a survey back in 2013 found 57 street sleepers in these fast-food restaurants. But this June another survey was conducted which found a whopping 334 street sleepers; of the 110 branches that are open 24 hours, 84 of them had seen overnight sleepers. Most of them were in McDonald's branches in Tsuen Wan.

Some have jobs, some have homes, but still go to McDonald's

Junior Chamber International, which conducted the survey, was able to interview 53 McRefugees aged between 19 and 79, and found 57 percent of them had a job, and 71 percent of them had housing, either rented or owned.

Some of them lived in sub-divided flats and because the small space had no air flow, they felt it was better to be in a place that was air conditioned. They also wanted to minimize their electricity spending, as air conditioning can be expensive.

Others had jobs but didn't get along with their families, and would rather not go home, and instead would rather hang out and eat at McDonald's.

There are also seniors whose husbands or wives had passed and they didn't want to be by themselves at home so they went to McDonald's to be around people.

"Family is the basic unit in a society," says chamber publication commission chairwoman Jennifer Hung Sin-yu. "Even one person who has a home but cannot return is too many. This phenomenon is worth our attention."

More needs to be done to reach out to these people

What is being done about these people?  It is sad to find Hong Kong as a community is not there for these people, whether it's offering companionship to lonely people or giving them a leg up to find a better job. The Hong Kong government will be on the hook for this latest report, as the city is so filthy rich and yet it doesn't have enough compassion for mostly underprivileged people.

But also the onus is on these people to find better solutions, such as a network of friends to talk to or to find some space that is welcoming -- hanging out in a McDonald's all day is hardly fun; it must be tiring too.

Everyone needs to be more open to reaching out and giving a helping hand to someone, or saying hello or even smiling to them.

These are small ways we can make Hong Kong more friendly to everyone.

Why Knock a Good Thing?

The General Post Office in Central is slated for demolition

The Hong Kong government doesn't think the city has enough office towers and malls so it is planning to demolish the General Post Office in Central. The post office and its contents would be moved to a new building in Kowloon Bay that cost taxpayers HK$1.6 billion (US$204 million).

Why do we need to move the General Post Office when we need one in the central business district? The post office has been an essential service not only Monday to Friday but even on Sundays for domestic helpers who are only free that day to mail packages back home.

This was the original General Post Office

And also why do we need another shopping mall? We already have IFC and Landmark in Central, and Pacific Place nearby. Surely those malls don't want competition either.

Environmentalists are using the argument that if you must move the post office, fine, but leave the building there. Roy Tam Hoi-pong of the activist group Green Sense says knocking down the building would create a lot of construction waste which would clog up landfills.

Green Sense has estimated it would produce more than 12,000 cubic metres of waste, the equivalent of five standard-sized swimming pools.

The five-storey Central Post Office was erected in 1976 to replace Hongkong Post's previous Edwardian-era headquarters at the corner of Des Voeux Road Central and Pedder Street.

The site on which the post office is located is known as Site 3, and it is part of a HK$12 billion plan for eight key sites on the Central harbourfront. There are plans for upmarket (ie expensive) office space, a large pedestrian deck and a mix of hotels and shops. Town planners had approved this for the site in September 2016.

Keeping the post office would be of cultural value to the city

Kitty Law Ngar-ning, co-convenor of the Central and Western Concern Group believes the building should be saved for its heritage value.

"The General Post Office has served Hongkongers for more than 40 years and... its symbolism is embodied by all the commerce, trade, cultural and societal exchanges that took place there," she said. "It is an important piece of architecture in our collective memory."

She suggested it be used as an exhibition space or a postal-themed museum. But it could have other uses as well. Why can't part of it remain a post office and the other parts some office space? Looking at how the Murray Building was recently refurbished into a hotel is interesting and useful. Does the government really have no creative ideas?

The government's Commerce and Economic Development Bureau claimed there wasn't enough grade A office space in the area. If that's so why are companies moving their offices away from the central business district? They can't afford the rents anymore!

The impending plan makes no sense, and hopefully lawmakers will question it. If not, we'll be left with another gaping hole in the Central harbourfront area and wondering why Hong Kong doesn't preserve its history and culture...

Incompetent Leadership

Chi Tak Public School in Wong Tai Sin has been left vacant for years

Ah, the incompetency of the Hong Kong government continues.

People are complaining about how buying a flat is out of the reach of many young people, and so the government has suggested perhaps it's time to develop currently forested areas in the New Territories that are supposed to be protected.

Many disagree, while others, out of greed or necessity back the idea.

However, an audit report has found of the 234 vacated schools listed in the Education Bureau's system that was set up in 2005, 105 of them continue to be unused, and another 14 weren't even registered.

Also around 80 percent of the 234 schools are primary schools.

"This is an obvious serious breach of duty on the government's part. They always say Hong Kong has a shortage of land... yet what they are doing is wasting precious public resources," said Democratic Party chief executive Lam Cheuk-ting, who has been advocating for re-purposing empty school sites.

Either these sites should be reopened because there are so many mainland Chinese students coming putting pressure on schools by the border, or they should be redeveloped for possible low-income housing.

The government doesn't do enough to tackle food waste

Why is the government letting these places be neglected? The audit report was also not impressed at how the authorities were keeping track of the vacant schools, and recommended the vacant ones be used as soon as possible.

And then the Environment Bureau has had its knuckles rapped by government auditors, who said the bureau hasn't done enough to deal with food waste in a timely manner, not is it accurate in projecting into the future. Sounds like Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah has the same problem...

Food waste has actually risen 13 percent in the past decade and the government is inching its way towards charging for waste disposal, eight years behind the original target.

Talk about major procrastination!

The bureau was also criticized for overstating how much a food waste treatment pilot plant in Kowloon Bay could process, and significantly underestimating how much the first phase of an organic waste treatment facility on Lantau Island would cost.

As a result the delays have just literally added more garbage in the city's landfills.

Interestingly the Correction Services Department and Hospital Authority have the highest amounts of food waste, more than the city's per capita average. The amount of food waste in prisons ranged from 0.02kg to 1.61kg per day, and at hospitals it was 0.06kg to 0.58kg daily.

Undersecretary for the Environment Christine Loh

In 2013, Hong Kong generated 5.49 million tonnes of solid waste, of which two-thirds went to municipal landfills, the rest to recycling. About 25 percent of all solid waste is food waste.

Say... isn't Christine Loh Kung-wai the Undersecretary for the Environment? When she set up Civic Exchange in 2000, the think tank held the government accountable for its actions (or lack of) with regards to the environment...

The government's lack of action on these two important areas just illustrates its incompetency, that it really has no idea what it should be doing, or that it doesn't care.

It obviously is not serving Hong Kong people, which is what we are paying it to do. It's not that the government lacks money or access to intelligent experts. It just seems to refuse to do what is best for the city and its residents.

Which is why people feel the government is acting more in the interests of Beijing than Hong Kong...

Hong Kong's "McSleepers"

An elderly woman sleeps at a branch of McDonald's

Last month, a woman in her 50s or 60s was found dead in a McDonald's in Ping Shek Estate, in Kowloon Bay, 24 hours after she entered the fast-food restaurant.

The shock of the discovery has sparked renewed calls to help these so-called "McRefugees", or "McSleepers", because they have no place to go, and the 24-hours McDonald's restaurants are a good option because they are warm and clean.

Social workers have been trying to bring attention of these homeless people to the Hong Kong government, but it still refuses to acknowledge these people need help because they consider them to have roofs over their heads -- albeit temporary ones.

As a result the government says it only has some 800 homeless people in the city, whereas social workers believe it's at least double that.

A woman was found dead in a McDonald's in Kowloon Bay

These homeless people have little or no income, and are forced between choosing to pay for expensive rents but starve, or live on the streets and have some food, and many pick the latter option.

"A subdivided flat of just 30 sq ft in Sham Shui Po would cost you HK$2,000 ($258) a month to rent these days," says Lee Tai-shing, chief community organizer for the Concerning Comprehensive Social Security Assistance and Low Income Alliance.

The Social Welfare Department offers short-term hostel placement, employment guidance, and emergency funds to cover short-term rent payments and other living expenses.

While it's nice to know the department will help out financially in a pinch, temporary housing is not the answer for these homeless people.

And so social workers are calling on the government to impose rent controls so landlords cannot sharply raise the rent every year.

When interviewed, one "McSleeper" said he used to live in a sub-divided flat in Sham Shui Po for HK$1,000, but then it became too expensive and dirty, whereas coming to McDonald's was at least "clean and nice".

The 48-year-old is a cleaner who also gets partial Comprehensive Social Security Assistance for low-income adults, and so he can have a monthly income of HK$6,000 to HK$10,000 depending on how many hours of work he can get.

Subdivided flats are expensive and cramped, dirty too

He has slept in a Sham Shui Po McDonald's for four years now and finds the location convenient, as his job is unstable and where he gets assigned to work changes frequently.

Although he has been offered public rental housing three times, he has refused each time, as the location is in an inaccessible area that transportation costs would be high.

While Sham Shui Po and Tai Kok Tsui have been areas with cheap housing, the government has been gentrifying these areas, making housing more expensive for people who are scraping a living.

A bed space costs HK$1,800 to over HK$2,000, while a sub-divided room can cost HK$3,000.

Social workers have lobbied the government to set aside social housing and communal areas for these low-income people, but people have the "not in my backyard" mentality.

However, when people are given a place to sleep and keep their possessions, earn a living and be able to maintain a sense of dignity, it gives these people hope, and helps them not only to socialize with others, but also makes them feel a part of the community.

Isolation, says social workers, is the real root of the homelessness problem.

"It's okay in the first year or two of rough sleeping, but stepping into the fourth and fifth year, it's hard not to have some sort of mental issues as well as other illnesses," says Wong Hung, associate professor in social work at Chinese University.

We go back to what Financial Secretary John Tsang Chun-wah said earlier, that HK12,000 was too much to pay for a dishwasher.

Has he and his colleagues visited these "McSleepers" and asked them how much they need to live a dignified life? The minimum would probably be HK$12,000 if not more.

And why is he sitting on trillions of dollars in reserves when we have at least 1,500 homeless people who need shelter, and over a million others who cannot afford to buy enough food to eat each day?

We pay taxes for a good reason -- to help those in need.

We are a rich city, and yet the buck stops with Tsang, for no good reason.

We ask again -- why is he our Financial Secretary?