Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor,a contender in the coming Chief Executive election, yesterday held a rally at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai.It was attended by over 800 personages from various sectors, making it somewhat a show of strength. At the rally, Carrie Lam talked about her election platform with three focuses and three new styles in administration, showing her thorough understanding and grasp of the current problems in the SAR and people's aspirations with feasible proposals to deal with the issues.This gives people what could be longed and hoped for once she is elected as the new Chief Executive.
Carrie Lam picked "We Connect" as her campaign slogan, which is worthy to be mulled over."We Connect" is definitely meant one cannot be all on one's own or be a loner but must to unite more people to advance together.In this regard, the greater the number of people in greater variety of sectors and with more different views are united, it is the better.Only in this way can it be truly said that "We Connect".And also in this way can works to make "We Connect" be smoothly conducted and goals be attained. Otherwise, if one "exalts only one's own self" and "persists in one's own ways", it cannot be called "We Connect" and it is impossible to "put aside conflicts and pursue ideals together".
It may be said, therefore, that Carrie Lam picking up "We Connect" as her campaign slogan is pertinent and of significance. In Hong Kong society at present, the phenomenon is disappointing and heart breaking that "one persists in one's own ways and ideas" and even readily sees others with different views as "strangers" and thus refuses to communicate with them. There is only one Hong Kong, and there is only one way to approach stability and prosperity. If all of us can pull together in times of trouble, have mutual understanding and mutual accommodation, and join hands to forge ahead, then what difficulties are there that cannot be overcome? What aspirations are that that cannot be materialised?
To "connect" with citizens and various sectors, Carrie Lam must descend from her's level of superiority and be modest and prudent to unite all forces and people that can be united including those who do not agree with some of her styles and ideas and even oppose her. As long as one loves Hong Kong, accepts the principal principle of "one country two systems" and is willing to devote efforts to economic development and improvement of people's livelihood, then he or she can be "connected".If Carrie Lam keeps her words to unite a vast majority of social strata, personages and political forces under the banner of "one country two systems", loving Hong Kong and striving for the betterment of Hong Kong, then not only can harmony be attained again, Hong Kong society can also again concentrate efforts on economic development and improvement of people's livelihood, bring into full play advantages of the "two systems" and strengthen the "one country" links and make this "Pearl on the Orient" shine brightly again.
In running the CE election, Carrie Lam's strongest point lies in her more then two-decades-long career in the civil service and experience in the government, which enables her to understand the operation of the government and be fully aware of the advantages and disadvantages. Therefore, her initial ideas of administration as she unveiled yesterday include three focuses - to cultivate land resources for speeding up housing construction, to develop and consolidate Hong Kong's advantages and promote innovation in multiple ways and to thoroughly review the education system, and three new style in administration - to adopt the "public participatory" principle and recruit based on the applicants' talents only, to act as a promoter, and to facilitate business operations by relaxing restrictions and removing barriers. All these are substantial and top priorities. If Carrie Lam, after being elected, could follow the three focuses to improve governance and follow the three styles to improve efficiency, then breakthroughs can surely be made to improve administration.
"The road ahead is not easy at all to walk along. But I am committed to Hong Kong and have confidence in citizens. I am willing to join hands with people to forge ahead by caring, listening and acting. I believe we can make Hong Kong's tomorrow more beautiful!"These are words Carrie Lam said in her address yesterday. It is hoped that she can successfully connect with people to bring a more beautiful tomorrow for Hong Kong.
04 February 2017
