ICAC Investigates Election Poll

The 2019 District Council elections had record turnout

A few days ago the Hong Kong Public Opinion Research Institute conducted a survey asking Hongkongers what their voting plans were for the upcoming Legislative Council elections on December 19.

But pro-Beijing newspaper Ta Kung Pao accused PORI's pollsters of breaking the law by merely asking how people would vote.

Peh says ICAC looking into allegations

So now the Independent Commission Against Corruption has to look into the allegations, with its commissioner Simon Peh Yun-lu warning the institute may have breached the law when its survey offered the option of casting a blank vote or not vote at all.

Ask to clarify his comments on Saturday, Peh said things would depend on the circumstances.

"I'm not saying that offering such an option in the survey [is] definitely against the law, but I don't know how they would ask the question, how they would collate the data or how they would release the result," Peh said.

"If there is any element which amounts to inciting other people not to vote or to cast an invalid vote openly, publicly, that would be liable under the ordinance."

However, Peh noted it isn't illegal for people to cast blank or invalid ballots.

The survey had found that more than half of registered voters did not know who was running for the upcoming election in their constituency, and that only about 52 percent would go vote.

The survey only polled 838 people

So perhaps the pro-Beijing side is upset at the prospect of an embarrassing low turnout compared to the 2019 election when a record 71 percent of registered voters cast their ballots for the District Council elections.

It is worth mentioning only 838 people were polled when there are over 4.1 million registered voters.

Why be so concerned about what 838 people have to say?

In the meantime the ICAC will duly investigate, but it seems like a storm in a teacup... 

Beijing Wants Macau Turned into IT Hub

Can Macau transform from gambling hub to one of innovation?

Before the coronavirus pandemic, Macau was the world's power horse when it came to generating billions of dollars in profits from gambling -- for years the former Portuguese colony's casino revenues were greater than all of those in Las Vegas combined. It generated over 80 percent of the Macau's tax income.

China had wanted Macau to diversify its income sources for years, and the gaming resorts tried to create entertainment, fine dining restaurants and shopping, but these initiatives were completely overshadowed by casinos. 

Macau depends heavily on casinos for its tax base

Mainland gamblers didn't care for shows that tried to be like those in Vegas, or Michelin-starred restaurants, and the shopping -- they just wanted to eat bowls of noodles so they could play at the VIP tables, dropping thousands of dollars per round.

However now with Covid-19 pandemic approaching its second year, it has laid bare how vulnerable Macau is to depending on gaming, and in the past week there was sensational news of Macau police arresting Alvin Chau Cheok-wa, who allegedly ran illegal cross border gambling activities. 

The free-wheeling days of fast money, VIP rooms, and escorts are over.

Instead Beijing wants to take the opportunity to turn the gambling capital into an IT hub.

The place will be Hengqin, a small island in between Macau and Zhuhai that will jointly be governed by both the Macau and Guangdong authorities. 

Hengqin is an island near Macau and Zhuhai

It will be one step forward in rebranding Macau as "the new centre of international technologies" to connect the Asia Pacific tech ecosystems with the rest of the world.

Huh?

What tech ecosystems? And wasn't Hong Kong supposed to be an IT hub too?

In Beijing's plan, Macau is being encouraged to develop integrated circuits, new energy projects and artificial intelligence, among other tech sectors, and to establish a supply chain for chips, from design to testing.

That will also include enhancing the research abilities of Macau universities to drive innovation and technology. There are other industries Beijing wants to develop too, like Chinese medicine, gems, tourism and financial services. 

Meanwhile tech firms like Tencent as helping the Macau Water Supply Company digitise its operations to offer smoother and faster services, and install meters to detect unusual water consumption. 

Huawei is also working with Macau's telecoms operator CTM on Macau's smart city initiative, using big data technology.

Are Macau's sleepy streets ready for change?

While this all sounds great, the reality is that Macau's population is just under 650,000, the city is small, rundown and not very efficient to get around.

Young people are either in the gaming or hospitality industries, or they have left Macau to develop their careers elsewhere, like Hong Kong. Students don't go to Macau universities to study high tech and innovation, and trying to change that perception will be a hard sell.

The Macanese don't have the aggressive go-getter mentality to work hard -- they are so used to getting free money from the government and having their pay from casinos artificially high that it will be hard to wean them off the gaming industry.

In addition, Macau doesn't have the man power or the education level to set up a supply chain for chips let alone artificial intelligence. 

And what will happen to all those casinos that are there and the ones that are being built? Will those be turned into high-tech hubs instead? 

It seems Beijing has major pipe dreams for Macau that may never become a reality...

Strong Pushback and Prestigious Recognition

WTA still can't contact Peng directly after repeated attempts

This morning Beijing woke up to the news that the Women's Tennis Association is suspending all tournaments in China in 2022 in a bid to keep the conversation going about tennis player Peng Shuai who has not been heard from since early November following her explosive sexual assault allegations.

"In good conscience, I don't see how I can ask our athletes to compete [in China] when Peng Shuai is not allowed to communicate freely and has seemingly been pressured to contradict her allegation of sexual assault," said Steve Simon, the WTA's chairman and CEO, in a statement.

Simon says too risky to hold WTA events in China

He was also concerned about the risks players and staff would face should the WTA hold events in China next year. The suspension, enacted immediately, will also apply to events in Hong Kong.

"If powerful people can suppress the voices of women and sweet allegations of sexual assault under the rug, then the basis on which the WTA was founded -- equality for women -- would suffer an immense setback," Simon said. "I will not and cannot let that happen to the WTA and its players."

A WTA spokeswoman told Agence France-Presse over the weekend that Simon had made numerous attempts to reach Peng directly, "to which it was clear her responses were influenced by others".

"While we now know where Peng is, I have serious doubts that she is free, safe and not subject to censorship, coercion and intimidation," Simon said Wednesday, reiterating the WTA's call for a "full and transparent" investigation into Peng's original charges.

Although the chances of WTA tournaments really happening in China are slim because of its strict regulations in trying to keep Covid-19 at bay, Simon's statement and actions are the strongest yet to counter Beijing's bungled handling of this scandal.

Lai honoured with prestigious press freedom prize

In another sign of pushback, jailed tycoon and publisher Jimmy Lai Chee-ying and his staff of the now shuttered Apple Daily have won the prestigious press freedom prize by the World Association of News Publishers.

The pro-democracy newspaper shut down abruptly in June following charges of breaching the national security law. Lai and several senior executives and editors have been detained on "foreign collusion" charges over Apple Daily's support for international sanctions against China.

Warren Fernandez, president of the World Editors Forum, said this year's Golden Pen of Freedom award highlighted the "fears and challenges" of journalists who face increasing curbs in Hong Kong.

"The jailing of a publisher, the arrest of an editor-in-chief and his senior colleagues, the shuttering of a newsroom, and the closure of a media title -- the 2021 Golden Pen award recognises, and reflects on, all of these," Fernandez said at a virtual ceremony on Wednesday.

Sebastian Lai received the award on behalf of his father, and said there will be "less and less people shining light in these dark corners" given Apple Daily's shutdown and the ongoing crackdown on journalism in the region.

Lai's son collected the award on his father's behalf

In a statement announcing the award, the World Association of News Publishers called Lai an "outspoken critic of Beijing's control over Hong Kong and a high-profile supporter of the pro-democracy movement".

Established in 1961, the Golden Pen of Freedom is an annual award that recognises outstanding contributions to the defence and promotion of press freedom.

Lai and Apple Daily, and by extension Hong Kong, are still being remembered by the rest of the world. 

Fighting to the End

Pang wants to clear his name even though he was acquitted

A 19-year old Hongkonger is taking the Secretary of Justice to court.

In June, Parco Pang was acquitted of possessing a laser pointer for illegal purposes after a West Kowloon court ruled the prosecution could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he had possessed the laser pointer at a protest in Mongkok on November 11, 2019.

Today he spoke to reporters at District Court, saying he believes prosecutors withheld documents during his trial which were inconsistent with testimony given by two police officers. He said this amounted to unfairness.

He was accused of carrying a laser pointer in 2019

"I'm filing this suit because certain evidence has arisen after the conclusion of my criminal prosecution, which suggests the possibility of certain documents which were withheld and not disclosed to the defence in the course thereof, which in my opinion, had led to the criminal case being, to a certain extent, unfair, which is why I'm bringing this suit to clear my name," Pang said.

Pang says he is seeking HK$520,000 (US$66,734) in damages. 

Perhaps even more extraordinary is that the teenager defended himself in the trial and will represent himself again in this latest suit.

"At this juncture, I think I'm the most suitable [person] to conduct the case as I'm most familiar with the facts and the relevant circumstances."

Wow. Just wow.

This couple was acquitted after lack of evidence

What happened to Pang is not unusual. He was one of the some 10,000 cases related to the 2019 anti-government protests. In several cases that have gone to court so far, the police officers could not recall things clearly, or the prosecution did not have enough evidence to convict, and the judge not only acquitted the defendant but also berated the prosecution for shoddy case preparation.

Those who are acquitted breathe a sigh of relief and move on.

But Pang is going a step further and is hitting back at the government as a warning shot.

When asked to comment in the suit, the Department of Justice said it does not comment on individual cases... like its own...