The union representing senior Hong Kong Public Servants has urged newly-appointed Head of Service, Patrick Nip Tak-kuen to listen to the views and ideas from younger and frontline workers and improve working conditions.
However, Head of the Senior Government Officers Association, Lee Fong-chung said he was pessimistic that the change in leadership from Joshua Law to Mr Nip would make “a huge difference”.
Asked in a radio interview if Public Servants should swear an oath pledging allegiance to the Special Administrative Region and vow to uphold the Basic Law, Mr Lee said it was hard to say as a Government report into the matter had not been released.
He said that if an oath was implemented, the Civil Service Bureau should speak to the various groups representing workers, but agreed that Public Servants should have a greater understanding of the Basic Law.
Mr Nip was relieved from his post as Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs days after an embarrassing saga involving apparent Government confusion over whether Beijing’s Liaison Office in Hong Kong had to abide by the Basic Law.
However, Chief Executive, Carrie Lam denied that anyone was being sacked as a form of punishment, saying the reshuffle was about “looking forward”.
Democratic Party lawmaker, James To Kun-sun (pictured) was sceptical, saying the Government’s popularity had been falling and it no longer had the confidence of the people.
Mr To said while a reshuffle might give the public some hope, if things continued as they were the changes would make no difference.
Hong Kong, 25 April, 2020
