Hong Kong Chief Executive, Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor has warned new recruits to the Public Service to watch what they say on social media, or risk being fired for creating a “negative impression”.
Speaking to the young probationers on the 40th anniversary of her joining the Public Service, Ms Lam rejected comments from former Minister for Transport, Anthony Cheung Bing-leung that the Beijing-imposed National Security Law could be ‘weaponised’ to tackle public order issues.
“The law was imposed to punish evils. I cannot understand why it can be related to weaponisation,” Ms Lam said, referring to the remarks by Mr Cheung, now a Professor of Public Administration at Education University.
Asked her attitude to the Office for Safeguarding National Security, a new mainland Agency in Hong Kong, Ms Lam said it would only exercise jurisdiction in special circumstances.
She also commented on an internal memo, recently sent by the Civil Service Bureau to various heads of Government Department, which was leaked to the media.
The memo said Department heads should terminate probationers’ service if they were charged on suspicion of taking part in “unlawful public activities targeting specific or general policies, and/or decisions of the Government”.
Ms Lam said the Government should observe “various aspects” of new recruits to see if they met the job requirements, including what they said online.
“If their words and deeds, and what they have said on their personal websites, give us a negative impression on them, we as an employer, have all the reasons to end the employment of those under probation,” she said.
“We’re not handing down a verdict before a trial. It is a matter concerning the relationship between employer and employee.”
She said this new arrangement targeted probationers only, as existing regulations did not allow the removal of Public Servants once their positions had been confirmed.
Permanent Government employees can be dismissed only after an inquiry.
Hong Kong, 20 August 2020
