Hong Kong civil servants should be loyal to both the city’s leader and China, said civil service chief
蘋果日報 2020/06/08 13:35
Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip
Civil servants in Hong Kong are also members of China’s public officers, said the city’s civil service chief on Sunday, adding that they should consider their “dual identity” in policy making and pledge loyalty to the city’s chief executive and the country.
Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip said strengthening civil servants’ national identity and understanding of the motherland will be among the prime tasks. On the issue of national security, he said in an interview with local Chinese language newspaper Sing Tao Daily, there was only one country, and two systems did not apply.
The shocking statement from the head of the government workforce — the first of its kind addressing the role of Hong Kong civil servants 23 years since Britain handed the city over to China — has further induced fear over the city’s loss of freedom and autonomy amid the looming national security law imposed by Beijing.
Democratic Party lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting said Nip’s statement was horrendous, an attempt to pressure Hong Kong civil servants to pledge loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party like their mainland counterparts. “Does it mean food and hygiene department staff will have to consider if inspecting food imported from mainland China would constitute the disclosure of state secrets?” he said.
Pro-democracy lawmaker Charles Mok, who sits on the Legislative Council’s Panel on Public Service, said Nip’s statement was no different from ordering Hong Kong civil servants to observe “one country, one system.” He added Nip also ruined civil servants’ political neutrality by politicizing their role.
“If civil servants have to second guess and consider CCP’s feelings before executing any policies, how can they get any work done? In Hong Kong today, you just don’t know where the red line is drawn,” Mok said.
Nip made his remark at a round-table conference staged by the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), the city’s largest pro-Beijing political party.
Since the protests against the now-withdrawn extradition bill began a year ago, groups and unions of civil servants have taken part in various rallies to declare their political stance.
Nip further defined the meaning of political neutrality maintained by civil servants, saying that citizen’s freedom of speech was well-protected under the Basic Law. But if that citizen was also a civil servant, one must exercise his free speech right with caution in order not to show favors because of political stance, he said.
Former commerce minister Gregory So, a member of DAB attending the round-table conference, said Nip’s statement was only “a line to take.” He criticized the current government solely rule by ensuring they have enough votes at Legco to pass a bill, rather than negotiating with various political parties and stakeholders before putting a policy forward. He said he maintained good communication with opposition lawmakers during his days, questioning whether the current government had an effective system to accurately measure public opinion.
Secretary for the Civil Service Patrick Nip said strengthening civil servants’ national identity and understanding of the motherland will be among the prime tasks. On the issue of national security, he said in an interview with local Chinese language newspaper Sing Tao Daily, there was only one country, and two systems did not apply.
The shocking statement from the head of the government workforce — the first of its kind addressing the role of Hong Kong civil servants 23 years since Britain handed the city over to China — has further induced fear over the city’s loss of freedom and autonomy amid the looming national security law imposed by Beijing.
Democratic Party lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting said Nip’s statement was horrendous, an attempt to pressure Hong Kong civil servants to pledge loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party like their mainland counterparts. “Does it mean food and hygiene department staff will have to consider if inspecting food imported from mainland China would constitute the disclosure of state secrets?” he said.
Pro-democracy lawmaker Charles Mok, who sits on the Legislative Council’s Panel on Public Service, said Nip’s statement was no different from ordering Hong Kong civil servants to observe “one country, one system.” He added Nip also ruined civil servants’ political neutrality by politicizing their role.
“If civil servants have to second guess and consider CCP’s feelings before executing any policies, how can they get any work done? In Hong Kong today, you just don’t know where the red line is drawn,” Mok said.
Nip made his remark at a round-table conference staged by the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong (DAB), the city’s largest pro-Beijing political party.
Since the protests against the now-withdrawn extradition bill began a year ago, groups and unions of civil servants have taken part in various rallies to declare their political stance.
Nip further defined the meaning of political neutrality maintained by civil servants, saying that citizen’s freedom of speech was well-protected under the Basic Law. But if that citizen was also a civil servant, one must exercise his free speech right with caution in order not to show favors because of political stance, he said.
Former commerce minister Gregory So, a member of DAB attending the round-table conference, said Nip’s statement was only “a line to take.” He criticized the current government solely rule by ensuring they have enough votes at Legco to pass a bill, rather than negotiating with various political parties and stakeholders before putting a policy forward. He said he maintained good communication with opposition lawmakers during his days, questioning whether the current government had an effective system to accurately measure public opinion.
---------------------------------
Apple Daily’s all-new English Edition is now available on the mobile app
To know more: https://bit.ly/2yMMfQE
Apple Daily’s all-new English Edition is now available on the mobile app
To know more: https://bit.ly/2yMMfQE
Apple Daily mobile app latest version DOWNLOAD NOW