It was noteworthy that President of the Legislative Council of Hong Kong Andrew Leung Kwan-yuen issued a statement recently to express strong disapproval and staunch opposition to the United Kingdom branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association’s decision to withdraw its invitation to the Hong Kong legislature to attend the 2023 Westminster Seminar on Effective Parliaments.
According to Leung, as well as other right-minded people, the withdrawal demonstrated a lack of propriety and was possibly a political stunt aimed at depriving Dominic Lee and myself of the chance to impart the true story of the effectiveness of Hong Kong’s legislature to our peers from other jurisdictions.
There is widespread belief that the real reason for the withdrawal of invitation was fear. The UK branch of the association seems reluctant to face the solid fact that the legislative body of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region serves public interests much better than its predecessor did during British rule.
As a lawyer, I have no political affiliation; however, I have the heart to serve the community like many professionals who aspire to make our city a better place. The social unrest, especially the incessant riots in 2019-20, threw Hong Kong into chaos. The city had suffered a prolonged period of social disorder before the promulgation of the National Security Law for Hong Kong (NSL) on June 30, 2020. The so-called “mutual destruction” scheme — despite some Western hostile forces and their local proxies trying to glorify it as the “pursuit of democracy” — was totally unacceptable by any yardstick, as it jeopardized Hong Kong’s constitutional order and challenged national sovereignty. Such an act would have been considered unacceptable in any civil society in the world.
The “3 P’s” (professionalism, patriotism, and productivity) ensure the legislature in Hong Kong has a sound and effective mechanism to enable it to continue to function as an effective law-making body to serve Hong Kong’s interests. … Unfortunately, participants in the 2023 Westminster Seminar on Effective Parliaments are deprived of the opportunity to learn about the true story of Hong Kong directly from Hong Kong legislators
Following the restoration of law and order secured by the NSL and the improvement of the HKSAR’s electoral system in 2021, the HKSAR, under the principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong” called on professionals like me to serve the city and to push through the hard times. With love of the country and a finance-legal dual-qualification background, I thought my 30 years of experience in both sectors could be used to serve the Legislative Council, which was then a common aspiration shared by many of my colleagues.
In fact, there was a whole host of passionate candidates from the professional sector and other sectors running for LegCo seats in the last election. Prior to the 2021 electoral reform, LegCo’s key functions of law-making and approval of public spending had been compromised by filibustering stunts for years, which had turned it into a dysfunctional body to the detriment of Hong Kong as a whole. So, my goal was simple — to play my part in rebalancing the law-making process and put things straight in our city!
Ever since the electoral reform, LegCo has functioned effectively to serve the public to its best ability, with emphasis on the “3 P’s” — professionalism, patriotism, and productivity.
First, professionalism: Following the electoral reform, we are seeing outstanding and visionary professionals in their respective fields with a wealth of experience that they are able to contribute to LegCo. This has tremendously enhanced the administrative branch’s work and the overall performance of LegCo. It has also mobilized the government to make and deliver on its promises for the common good of Hong Kong and the country.
Second, patriotism: The principle of “patriots administering Hong Kong” works well and its influence has been transformative. The LegCo hall is now filled with legislative councilors full of passion and ability who can truly perform the functions of LegCo so that Hong Kong can stay true to the principle of “one country, two systems”, a framework originally designed to keep the best of the city’s capitalist and common law systems without sacrificing its development momentum or weakening the central government’s comprehensive jurisdiction over Hong Kong. The principle was enshrined in the nation’s Constitution and the Basic Law of the HKSAR.
Finally, productivity or effectiveness: Without the filibustering, LegCo can focus its time and efforts on performing its legislative duties under the Basic Law, playing its part in putting Hong Kong back in order and on the path to development. For example, Leung’s annual report showed that the HKSAR government tabled 25 bills in 2022, 17 of which had been duly passed into law. Over 180 pieces of sub-legislation were dealt with. On approval of public spending, 70 projects were approved involving a commitment of approximately HK$177.5 billion ($22.6 billion). In checking on the government’s performance, 33 members’ motions were debated and more than 1,000 question sessions involving government bodies were conducted.
Alleging that the legislature in the HKSAR is ineffective disregards solid facts, while claiming that the situation in Hong Kong has been“deteriorating” since the promulgation of the NSL amounts to a wanton smear, and is intolerable to right-minded residents.
Some have even accused LegCo of serving as a “rubber stamp”, blindly approving the government’s proposals no matter what. Nothing could be further from the truth. The local media, for example, reported on my own rejection of the government’s proposed removal of LegCo’s negative vetting power in handling certain quarantine measures.
The “3 P’s” ensure the legislature in Hong Kong has a sound and effective mechanism to enable it to continue to function as an effective law-making body to serve Hong Kong’s interests. I could write further about the significance of the electoral reform.Unfortunately, participants in the 2023 Westminster Seminar on Effective Parliaments are deprived of the opportunity to learn about the true story of Hong Kong directly from Hong Kong legislators.
The author is a member of the Legislative Council from the Election Committee Constituency.
The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.