MR CHAN KIN-POR (in Cantonese): President, after years of “brainwashing” Western education, many people think that only the political electoral systems and methods in the West are the most ideal. But as we have seen from the bullying and oppressive actions taken by Western countries against others recently, they are not saying “free competition” but “no competition with them”. Their actions over the past few years have made many people deeply realize what is meant by “saying one thing but doing another”. Despite all the talking about virtues and morals and the packaging that misleads the masses, they do all kinds of evil in practice.
The mask of the Western countries have torn their masks off and have carried out all sorts of groundless and unjustified suppression and intimidation against China purely out of their fear of a powerful China. As long as we have a sufficient understanding of the overall international situation these days, it will be very easy for us to see why Hong Kong needs to improve the electoral system. If Hong Kong people turn a blind eye to the international suppression of China, remain ignorant of the fact that China is being besieged by the New Eight-Power Allied Forces, and even cause troubles and chaos to our country during this critical time, then they do not deserve to be Chinese.
Regarding Hong Kong, the Council has resumed its normal operation ever since the resignation en masse of the opposition camp. That said, in the past several years, following Occupy Central and black-clad riots, the core values in which Hong Kong society had taken pride for many years―including tolerance, courtesy, law-abiding, safety and mutual respect―were all destroyed. Worse still, the Legislative Council was in a state of chaos and witnessed increasingly outrageous and nasty tactics for upsetting the order of the Council. The purpose was to stall and make it impossible for the Government to implement policies. The motive was very malicious.
I believe our country has been most tolerant and patient, hoping that “one country, two systems” can maintain the status of Hong Kong as an international financial centre and that Hong Kong can serve as a testing ground for our country to promote democracy. For over two decades since the handover of sovereignty, blocs with ulterior motives have successfully incited hatred between China and Hong Kong on all fronts in an organized and planned manner. Thankfully, our country did not abandon Hong Kong and instead left no stone unturned in supporting Hong Kong. Facts have proved that when Hong Kong encounters major difficulties, it is always our Motherland that comes to our rescue.
During the difficult times when Hong Kong was hit by a double whammy of the turbulence caused by rioters and the epidemic, the National People’s Congress (“NPC”) endorsed the introduction of the National Security Law which produced a shock-and-awe effect on “black-clad violence”. Since then, Hong Kong has gradually turned the corner. This year, the Central Authorities took action again as NPC passed the decision on improving SAR’s electoral system to bring SAR back on track. The Improving Electoral System (Consolidated Amendments) Bill 2021 under scrutiny today precisely seeks to plug the flaws and loopholes in the electoral system, so as to prevent the “mutual destruction camp” from continuously using the Council as a platform and their capacities as Members to subvert state power and undermine national security.
As a matter of fact, since the handover of sovereignty, Members from the opposition camp have persistently thwarted the Government’s policy implementation, which has long made it very difficult for the Government to move forward. In recent years, the opposition camp has become more and more radical. Some people even advocated “Hong Kong independence” and colluded with foreign forces in an attempt to undermine the governance of Hong Kong. The Government has been dragged into this political whirlpool all along and cannot afford the time to address major livelihood issues, declining competitiveness or even deep-rooted conflicts. People’s livelihood is becoming increasingly difficult and discontent is inevitable. The opposition camp then fanned the flames by blaming the Government for all the problems and attacking it. Further, they advocated “mutual destruction” in society, attempted to seize control of the Legislative Council, and forced the Chief Executive to step down. If they succeed, Hong Kong will plunge into an abyss of endless turmoil and the community will never have a moment of peace. Therefore, it is definitely necessary for the Central Authorities to improve the electoral system and establish the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong” in order to eliminate anti-China disruptors and stop them from achieving “mutual destruction” in Hong Kong.
The key points of improving the electoral system this time around have already been explained in detail by various Honourable colleagues, so I am not going to repeat them. The improvement of the electoral system will bring many obvious benefits from the perspective of the overall situation in Hong Kong. First, this can ensure that those who oppose the Central Authorities and cause disturbance to the law and order of Hong Kong as well as those who collude with foreign forces will be barred from taking part in elections. It is specified in the Basic Law that Members of the Legislative Council must swear to uphold the Basic Law and swear allegiance to HKSAR; it is also an international practice to require public officers to pledge allegiance. In spite of these, since the handover of sovereignty, a lot of Members from the opposition camp did not take their oath seriously; and after joining the Legislative Council, they engaged in numerous anti-China disruptive acts or even colluded with foreign forces to interfere in local affairs.
In fact, this is the root cause of the disasters and chaos in Hong Kong nowadays. Hence, for the sake of the long-term stability and safety of Hong Kong, it must be cured once and for all. Earlier on, the Legislative Council has already amended the legislation on oath-taking by public officers by requiring Members to observe the pledge of upholding the basic law and allegiance. Today, the improvement of the electoral system also seeks to stop anti-China disruptors from continuously using the Legislative Council as a platform to ruin Hong Kong.
Another benefit is that the executive-led system can be implemented to improve the governance of Hong Kong. Since the handover of sovereignty, the opposition camp has been gaining political capital by attacking the Government. The officials are often scathingly criticized and the Government has turned into a “hot kitchen”. Over time, the Government has become passive, short-sighted and afraid to act. The once efficient Government has become a thing of the past, leaving many deep-seated conflicts in Hong Kong unresolved. Following the improvement of the electoral system, Hong Kong no longer needs to waste its time on political struggles, nor does society need to waste their energy on such unconstructive matters as arguments, mudslinging and doxxing; and the Government can focus its efforts on resolving various problems in society.
I sincerely advise officials to be bold to make commitments, be ready to step out of the existing framework and mindset, be innovative to resolve problems, and be daring to take action. I believe it is the hope of many Members that the Government will translate the valuable views collected from people from all walks of life into measures beneficial to Hong Kong and the people, as well as endeavour to strengthen governance and rebuild its reputation as a highly efficient Government, so that Hong Kong people can live and work in contentment. I believe this is the biggest wish of the people. Thank you, President.