Carrie Lam's offer 由林鄭月娥自薦統籌舊樓安全說起

NOT long ago a residential building collapsedin Ma Tau Wai Road. Yesterday, at anadjournment debate on the tragedy and oldbuilding safety, Secretary for Development Carrie Lamsaid building dilapidation had become a socialproblem. She said people who lived in dilapidatedbuildings belonged to the most underprivileged group,and the problem would not ease unless governmentpeople worked with one heart and one mind. Sherevealed that, in the evening of the day that saw thetragedy, she told the Chief Executive (CE) in an emailthe responsibility rested with her as an accountabilitysecretary and the Development Bureau was preparedto shoulder the task of coordinating government effortsto ensure building safety. It seems clear that CarrieLam suggested to Donald Tsang that she offered to beentrusted with the task.

When Carrie Lam talked about old buildings at thedebate, she was once choked with sobs. She is knownin officialdom for her abilities. When it comes to work,she never picks and chooses or shuns difficulties.

Three years ago, she went alone to Queen's Pier tohave a debate with those who were against itsdemolition. She displayed such boldness that peoplelooked at her with new eyes. Perhaps the way shebehaved in the legislative chamber in the past twodays demonstrates the gallant woman's tendersensibility.

We have yet to see the Tsang administrationopenly respond to Carrie Lam's offer. As it takes manybureaus' and departments' efforts to deal with theproblem comprehensively, to accept her offer would beto pursue a new policy. Furthermore, the implantationof such a policy calls for an interdepartmentalmechanism.

There are large stretches of old buildings in olddistricts like Kowloon City, To Kwa Wan, Hung Hom,Tai Kok Tsui and Sham Shui Po. Many of them are toodilapidated to be habitable. They should be torn downas soon as possible. Unless drastic measures aretaken, the long-standing, big, difficult problem willworsen with each passing day.

The self-preservation philosophy is now prevalentin officialdom. Some officials always remindthemselves that one makes many mistakes if one doesmuch, few if little, and none if nothing. Officials wholike Carrie Lam would offer to do more work orextremely difficult work are, one may say, as rare asphoenix feathers and unicorn horns. The Tsangadministration has yet to declare where it stands onher offer. It remains to be seen whether she will begiven the task. However, Carrie Lam must be preparedfor one eventuality. When she tackles the problem ofbuilding dilapidation, she will realise it is not just aboutkeeping old buildings in good repair, and it has muchto do with the most deep-rooted of Hong Kong'sdeep-rooted contradictions - poverty.

Divided title is only one factor in buildingdilapidation. The main factor is that old buildingresidents are poor. Would one live in constant fear ifone could afford better housing? According to CarrieLam, her email to the CE says, "I would like to sharethe following idea with you. The collapse of the buildinghas brought to the fore not only ill repair but also anextremely serious social problem. In buildings that arein worst repair live people that are mostunderprivileged. They need the SAR government'sattention more than any other group." The day thetragedy happened, Donald Tsang went to the scene.

That night he visited some of the victims. Is it true thatthose actions fully evidence his concern for old buildingsafety? Let us see how he will respond to the offerCarrie Lam, who has the people's sufferings at heart,has made.

明報社評2010.02.05

由林鄭月娥自薦統籌舊樓安全說起

發展局長林鄭月娥昨日就立法會休會辯論馬頭圍道塌樓事件和舊樓安全問題發言時，提到本港舊樓失修已成為社會問題，而居民是社會最弱勢社群，政府內部需要更一致齊心，才能改善問題。她透露事發當晚向行政長官曾蔭權發出電郵，表示自己作為問責局長，責無旁貸，發展局願意承擔統籌責任。林鄭月娥這個舉措，明顯是向曾蔭權自薦統籌舊樓安全和維修問題。

她發言講到舊樓安全問題時，一度哽咽。林鄭月娥在官場以辦事能力高強著稱，對於工作不挑精剔肥，不會避難畏難，3 年前，她單槍匹馬到皇后碼頭與反對搬遷碼頭的人辯論，其膽識過人之處，使人刮目相看。這位女中豪傑兩日來在立法會的表現，或許顯示她感性柔情的一面。

不過，林鄭月娥的自薦，目前未看到曾蔭權和政府有何回應。舊樓安全和維修，若全面開展工作，涉及多個政策局和部門。因此，若曾蔭權和政府回應林鄭月娥的自薦，就是推行一項新政策，而且要協調一個跨部門的機制來執行。

九龍城、土瓜灣、紅磡、大角嘴、深水埗等舊區的大片舊樓，許多樓宇的殘破衰敗程度，實際上已經不宜居住，應該盡早拆卸。若無根本性改變，隨着時日推移，這個「老大難」問題只會愈益深重。

現在特區政府官場，明哲保身之風甚盛，不少人以「多做多錯、少做少錯，不做不錯」為行事處世方針，類似林鄭月娥主動要求做更多、而且是高難度工作的官員，可謂鳳毛麟角。曾蔭權和政府對她的自薦，公開仍未表態，她能否一肩挑起舊樓安全維修的統籌重責大任，還待事態發展，但是林鄭月娥應該有心理準備：就是實際接觸到舊樓問題之後，會認識到這個並非安全維修問題那麼簡單，而是觸及香港深層次矛盾之中的最深層根結──貧窮問題。

舊樓殘破，業權零散只是原因之一，主要還是住客貧窮。若財政能力負擔得起，誰會甘願終日住得提心吊膽？林鄭月娥在發言中披露給行政長官的電郵，提到「我與行政長官分享，今次塌樓事件，其實突顯了不單是失修樓宇問題，亦是一個很嚴重的社會問題，這些失修最嚴重的舊樓中，住了香港最弱勢的社群，最需要我們特區政府關懷」。塌樓當日，曾蔭權到過災場，其後更乘夜探望受影響居民，他對舊樓安全問題的關注，僅此而已？且看曾蔭權如何回應滿是民胞物與、痌瘝在抱情懷的林鄭月娥的「求職」請求了。

Glossary

gallant /'gal ?nt/brave, especially in a very difficult situation.

habitable /'habIteb(?)l/suitable for people to live in.

stand

To stand on something is to have a particularattitude towards or opinion about it.