Alarm bells are ringing

ACCORDING TO a survey the Institute ofAsia-Pacific Studies of the ChineseUniversity has recently conducted, the publicno longer considers the SAR a harmonious society.What is even more surprising is that an estimated 1.53million citizens support using radical means to urge thegovernment to address citizens' demands. Judgingfrom the findings of the survey, deep-rootedcontradictions (which the government has all alongrefused to address and even to acknowledge) haveworsened. If the government continues to turn a blindeye to them, our society will hardly be harmonious, andit may not even be largely stable. Alarm bells areringing. Let us see if the government will continue toturn a deaf ear or bury its head in the sand like anostrich.

The survey is the third of the Institute's on-goingstudy on social harmony in Hong Kong. In the survey,only 26.5% of the respondents considered Hong Konga harmonious society, down over eleven percentagepoints on 2008 (37.5%) and 2006 (37.8%).

Furthermore, the percentage of those whosupported using radical means to urge the governmentto address citizens' demands is 25.9% , up 4.5percentage points on 2008 (21.4% ). That showscitizens' discontent with the status quo or helplessnessis manifested in changes in their attitude and evenbehaviour. We have no idea how Donald Tsang or hisadministration would read those figures. However, if aquarter of those living in a place support using radicalmeans, its government cannot normally sit back andrelax.

There is social disharmony, and 1.53 millioncitizens think it right to resort to radical means. Whathas become of Hong Kong? Any person who has livedhere for some time and somewhat concerns himselfwith Hong Kong's situation and political, economic andsocial affairs would know those are manifestations ofits deep-rooted contradictions.

Hong Kong's democratisation has long progressedat a snail's pace. Its political system is anomalous andmore favourable to businesses. Powers are unjustlyexercised. Such things have become more and morerepugnant.

In this year's survey, only 38.7% of therespondents thought the government to be sufficientlyeffective in developing the economy and creating jobs,compared to 55.8% in 2006's and 52.4% in 2008's.

These figures show citizens consider the governmenthas done worse and worse in handling economicmatters. Deep-rooted contradictions have manifestedthemselves in areas that affect society and people'slives. It is most telling that the rich-poor gap isbecoming wider and wider.

We feel compelled to point out that, if thegovernment adheres to its present land policy andhousing policy, wealth condensation will become moreand more serious in Hong Kong. It is foreseeable thatdeep-rooted contradictions will intensify and publicresentment will grow.

There is no panacea for Hong Kong's deep-rootedcontradictions. However, people are now not onlyunhappy with the government but also hostile to bigbusinesses. This is the case partly because housingprices (which have been soaring) are now way beyondordinary people's means. It is the government'spresent land supply policy that has causedsupply-demand imbalance in the property market. It ismisguided and ought to be rectified. The governmentshould control land supply by holding regular orirregular land auctions. It should also suitably revivethe Home Ownership Scheme to help sandwich-classpeople to buy their own homes.

We do not know how much pressure Hong Kongcan endure or at what point public resentment will flareup. However, we know from the findings of theInstitute's survey that what may destabilise Hong Kongis rapidly accumulating. The government mustpromptly take steps to defuse the "social bomb" lest itshould blow Hong Kong to smithereens.

(D0905)

明報社評 2010.04.09

153 萬人贊成激烈取態社會和諧穩定響警號

中文大學香港亞太研究所的最新調查研究，除了發現民意首次確認香港不是一個和諧社會，更使人驚訝者，是估計有大約153 萬人贊成採用激烈手法要求政府回應訴求。從調查所得數據看來，政府一直不肯面對、甚至拒絕承認的深層次矛盾已經惡化，如果政府繼續置之不理，不但香港社會難以和諧，連基本穩定也成為問題。警號已經響起，就看政府是否「借咗聾耳陳隻耳」，繼續埋首沙堆做鴕鳥。

有關調查乃亞太研究所的「香港和諧社會」持續性研究計劃，今次是第三次。今年的調查，認同香港是和諧社會的受訪者，只有26.5%，較08 年（37.5%）和06 年（37.8%），下跌超過11 個百分點。

今次調查發現，贊成用激烈手法要求政府回應訴求的受訪者，較2008 年的21.4%多了4.5 個百分點，達到25.9%，顯示市民對現狀之不滿和無力感，在心態以至行為轉變反映出來。我們不知道曾蔭權和政府怎樣理解這個數字，若一個政府所管治的人民，有四分之一贊成激烈取態，正常情况下，這樣的政府不可能高枕無憂。社會不和諧，153 萬人贊成採取激烈手法，香港究竟發生了什麼事？只要在香港較長期生活，稍為關心香港政治、經濟、社會民生現狀和問題的市民，都會知道這是各種深層次矛盾的反映。

長期以來，香港民主進程慢如蝸牛、政治體制結構不合理、政治利益向商界傾斜、權力運作之不公義，愈來愈使人反感。

經濟方面， 受訪者對政府在「發展經濟、創造就業」，認為合格或以上的，今年只有38.7%，06 年為（55.8%）、08 年（52.4%）。這些數字，說明市民認為政府在經濟領域的政績，每况愈下，連帶的深層次矛盾就在社會民生領域暴露出來，其中貧富懸殊愈趨嚴重，最能說明問題。

我們要指出，按目前政府堅持的土地房屋政策，香港財富必然愈趨集中。深層次矛盾更沉重，市民怨懟日益深化，都可以預期。

香港的深層次矛盾，並無獨步單方化解，但是，近期市民不滿政府的同時，衍生出「仇商情緒」，此情况與樓價狂飈，脫離了一般市民的購買力有關。事實上，政府目前的土地供應政策，是導致樓宇供應失衡的根本原因。現行土地政策是錯誤的，必須糾正，由政府以定期或不定期買地方式，主導土地供應，並須恢復興建適量居屋，協助夾心階層置業安居。

我們不知道香港社會可以承受多大壓力，也不知道民怨爆發的臨界點，但是，從亞太研究所這項調查的發現，我們知道香港社會的不穩定因素正在快速累積，政府必須盡快採取應對紓緩措施，以確保「社會炸彈」不會把香港炸個稀巴爛。

Glossary

concernIf you concern yourself with something, youtake an interest in it.

panacea /.pan .'si:./something that will solve all the problems of asituation.

smithereens /.smId.'ri:nz/small fragments.