Time ripe for fruit money means test

(The Standard P.19  13 Dec 2012) A former colleague who is retired but resident in Hong Kong sent me an e-mail a few days ago about the Legco finance committee debate over the plan to increase "fruit money" for needy elderly people to HK$2,200.

The debate was subject to the filibuster(拉布) process by one councillor, Leung Kwok-hung, who together with his fellow democrats was not prepared to support the proposal unless and until the government agreed to no means test and to a comprehensive(綜合的) retirement plan(退休計劃).

To achieve(實現) these aims Leung Kwok-hung wasted many hours of the meeting asking supplementary(補充的)questions, all of which were nit-picking(吹毛求疵)queries, some even ridiculous(荒謬的).

Watching him ask these questions on TV, he seemed to enjoy making silly jokes at the expense of the anxious and suffering elderly people to whom the additional money would mean a lot.

The demands made by some councillors, while well- meaning, in the long term are not the issues which will help those in need immediately. Indeed, to do away with a means test will open the door to everyone over 70 years of age receiving HK$2,200 every month.

The financial burden(財政的負擔), upon the government in the coming years will be quite substantial(大的), and should we have lean years where budgets cannot be balanced, a means test would then have to be introduced to weed out(淘汰)those who do not qualify(有資格) for the extra payment. This process(程序) would lead to another round of debate, and no doubt all would be blaming(指責) the government for not having done enough now.

All of us senior citizens see the "fruit money" as it stands as ours by right, a celebration, if you like, of our longevity(長壽).

However, the extra amount as proposed is for those who require it for their daily existence, at least to improve, in some way, their present situation. To deprive(剝奪) those in need just for a matter of "principle" is quite wrong.

The comprehensive retirement scheme will take some time to plan and could turn out to be(證明是) yet another white elephant on the shoulders(負擔) of public revenue(稅收). It is really easier said than done.

So one wonders why this filibuster process was being kept up(不停止)? We should rejoice that there is still courage and wisdom left to push through the proposal even if those opposed to it had threatened more filibusters when the issue comes before the full council.

The current rules for Legco seem to allow councillors to throw bananas and other items at each other without criminal liability(刑事上的責任). My colleague asked in his e-mail should one of us long-suffering members of the public throw bananas at Leung Kwok-hung, would we be liable(有義務的) for criminal prosecution(刑事上的起訴)?

My view is that the same rules should apply to members inside and outside the Legco chambers. JS Lam served(服務) with Hong Kong police - `Asia's Finest' - for 32 years, reaching the rank(職銜) of senior superintendent(高級警司)before retiring in 1996.