The Hong Kong Coalition, a grand alliance convened by former chief executives Tung Chee-hwa and Leung Chun-ying, has won wide acclaim from the public, with the hope it will help put the city back on track.
The coalition, whose 1,545 members include prominent local political and business leaders, is tasked with reviving an economy battered by months of social unrest and the coronavirus pandemic that have led to the city’s biggest quarterly economic slump on record.
The alliance’s inception is good news for Hong Kong as the city faces an unprecedented crisis that threatens people’s security and rule of law
Tam Ming-kei, former legal adviser with a local property company
Wong Yat-fung, a former taxi driver, said the organization’s goals reflect the common aspirations of the people of Hong Kong — to live in peace and stability.
Wong, who now heads the Taxi Drivers and Operators Association, said hundreds of thousands of taxi drivers had suffered immense financial losses in the second half of last year as radical protesters blocked off major roads, paralyzing traffic almost every week.
“And, the business environment has worsened this year due to the pandemic,” he said.
The lawlessness and violence have wreaked havoc on the city, Wong lamented, saying he hopes the coalition will succeed in kick-starting the local economy and exploring ways to improve the people’s livelihoods.
Tam Ming-kei, a former legal adviser with a local property company, said the alliance’s inception is good news for Hong Kong as the city faces an unprecedented crisis that threatens people’s security and rule of law.
He said his personal information had been doxxed after he spoke out against the violence and joined the public in backing the police, costing him his job. His former employer was also harassed by radical activists last year.
Tam said he hoped legal experts, who are members of the coalition, can help raise residents’ awareness of the importance of the rule of law, protect Hong Kong’s core values and maintain its stability and prosperity.
Armstrong Lee, managing director of Worldwide Consulting Group, voiced his support for the coalition’s objectives — opt for growth, oppose destruction, work for unity and reject division.
He also applauded the alliance’s pledge to help the city’s fresh graduates by creating more internships and vocational training opportunities. Young people now find it hard to find jobs with Hong Kong experiencing its worst economic recession, he said.
According to Lee, the local job market has seen employment vacancies fall by about 20 percent for fresh graduates this year.
He urged the coalition to set up a fund to subsidize enterprises that intend to offer full-time or part-time jobs to graduates and university students.
Lee also appealed to major local enterprises to take the lead in relieving the financial pressure on medium and small enterprises, such as offering rent cuts and making a concerted effort to ride out the crisis.
