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Wednesday, July 10, 2019, 09:28
HK govt to reform consultative process
By He Shusi
Wednesday, July 10, 2019, 09:28 By He Shusi

Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor holds a press conference at government headquarters in Admiralty on Tuesday.  (PHOTO / CHINA DAILY)

To encourage reconciliation, Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor said on Tuesday that the government would revamp its consultative mechanism to better engage Hong Kong people, especially young people.

Special emphasis will be placed on the changeover of the Youth Development Commission, an advisory agency to the government on youth work, headed by Chief Secretary for Administration Matthew Cheung Kin-chung

The commitment was made after Lam conceded that earlier attempts to amend the fugitive laws, which has been suspended and declared “dead”, was “a complete failure”. The problem, she said, was due mainly to the government’s deficiency in gauging public sentiment toward the rendition bill.

Lam said she hopes society could give her and her team a chance to make amends and take the city forward under “a new governance style” which is widely seen to be needed in easing the social tension marked by a series of protests, some of which turned violent, in the past few weeks.

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The new style will call for the reform of the existing consultative machinery to build an open platform to facilitate dialogue with people from different backgrounds and age groups.

Special emphasis will be placed on the changeover of the Youth Development Commission, an advisory agency to the government on youth work, headed by Chief Secretary for Administration Matthew Cheung Kin-chung.

Lam said she is ready to conduct open dialogues with university students. But she said she hoped the communication would take place without any prerequisites.

Moreover, Lam said she has asked top officials of various departments to review their potentially controversial policies to ascertain whether more public consultations are needed.

Lam said that she would require her policy advisers and minister-level officials to adopt a more down-to-earth approach in formulating and executing policies with a better grasp of public opinions.

Ip Kwok-him, member of the Executive Council, said that Lam’s new approach would ensure better governance, and help avoid confrontations arising from misunderstanding by the public.

Kenneth Leung Yuk-wai, member of the Youth Development Commission, welcomed Lam’s decision to reform the commission and conduct open dialogue with students. He said that the proposed changes would help encourage more young people to express their concerns and frustrations.

Clarence Leung Wang-ching, another member of the commission, noted that they have been proactively communicating with young people of different backgrounds, and assisting them in their careers or studies. He said the chief executive is on the right track by listening more to young people.

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Starry Lee Wai-king, legislator and chairwoman of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong, said she hopes the government will listen to young adults and students with sincerity, while calling on student representatives to cherish the opportunity, and understand that any prerequisites are not helpful. 

Chen Zimo contributed to the story.

heshusi@chinadailyhk.com

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