[A+] Legco passes race discrimination bill

The Legislative Council on Thursday passed the Race Discrimination Bill after lawmakers succeeded in striking out a controversial clause exempting language discrimination.

The bill had been controversial -€“ with conservative critics arguing it was unnecessary -€“ but with supporters saying such a law was long overdue to protect minority groups and bring Hong Kong's anti-discrimination laws into line with other countries and United Nations requirements.

A number of minority groups -€“ including Indians, Pakistanis and Filipinos in the past have complained about unfair treatment at work or from government departments. Some mainland Chinese have also claimed to be victims of discrimination.

But Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs Stephen Lam Sui-lung stressed on Thursday that different ethnic groups would benefit from the bill.

“We will have a new situation in Hong Kong whereby different ethnic groups will feel that they are being better served,” he said.

He said the new law was needed to make Hong Kong a modern, international city.

“The government has every intention of creating an environment in which both Chinese and other ethnic groups will feel very much that they are part of the international community of Hong Kong -€“ Asia's world city,” he said.

Asked if the outcome was a surprise for the government, Mr Lam said: “The passage marks a major milestone in the provision of services and statutory provisions regarding anti-discrimination protection for ethnic minorities in Hong Kong.”

However, Mr Lam, did not elaborate when asked whether the bill would be passed into law in its current form, local radio reported.

Recent debates on the bill in the Legislative Council have focused on language discrimination. Amendments raised by the Bills Committee chairwoman Margaret Ng Ngoi-yee addressed these concerns — but this week, Ms Ng's amendments were voted down, amid impassioned debate.

But Ms Ng's amendment on language did garnet the support of the unionists. During a debate over an amendment which had aimed to remove an exemption on language discrimination, lawmaker Wong Kwok-hing, of the Federation of Trade Unions, said: “Ensuring ethnic minorities are given fair treatment with regards to their language is a fundamental requirement of a racial discrimination law. I support Ms Ng's amendment.”

While the amendments were rejected, enough legislators voted for the bill without the controversial exemptions allowing the bill to be passed. But Ms Ng was still unhappy that other clauses that allow the government in certain situations not to be sued for discriminatory behaviour, were still going through in the passed bill.

She said it was still an inadequate bill and the government would need to do more to help provide services for people in ethnic minorities. Census figures shows that about 95 per cent of Hong Kong's population is of Chinese descent — the majority of which are Cantonese.

The remaining five per cent is made up of South Asians. This includes Sindhis, Indians, Pakistanis and Nepalese. Some Vietnamese refugees have also become permanent residents.

There are also approximately 140,000 Filipinos working in the territory, mainly as domestic helpers. Some domestic helpers are also from Indonesia.

There are also Europeans, Americans, Australians, Canadians, Japanese, and Koreans working in various sectors, mainly in commerce, finance and education.

SCMP. Jul. 10, 2008.

A perfect day to sweat for democracy

Thousands of protesters take to the streets under blue skies and a blazing sun

In the weeks leading up to the July 1 march, some activists worried that the record-setting rainstorms and relative lack of galvanising political issues would conspire against the annual gathering.

But as the city awoke yesterday, the blue skies, rampant inflation and general dissatisfaction with the government proved the perfect combination, drawing thousands of people to march under a blazing sun.

"It's strange that year after year, protesters will march under such a strong sun. It seems sweating together for democracy has become a collective memory," said Democrat Gary Fan Kwok-wai.

While universal suffrage remained a key issue, also prominent among the sea of placards and slogans on display were complaints about inflation and public anger over Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen's naming of political aides.

But Mr Tsang's administration was not the only party feeling the heat. A daughter of Civic Party leader Audrey Eu Yuet-mee, who brought her family to the march, felt dizzy and almost fainted, prompting some to fear that the sun, rather than any rain, would end up turning away marchers.

Earlier in the day, a red-faced and agitated Jackie Hung Ling-yu, vice-convenor of the Civil Human Rights Front, said: "The heavens might not be helping Donald Tsang, but they are not helping me, either. Look at the small numbers." But her fears soon subsided as protesters filled three soccer pitches in Victoria Park.

While pan-democrats said that unlike in previous years, Beijing seemed to be paying less attention to the turnout for the march because of an apparent lack of major controversies that might endanger Mr Tsang's rule, some researchers working for the central government said Vice-President Xi Jinping had deliberately delayed a visit to the city until the week after July 1 to avoid coinciding with the march, which could have been embarrassing.

And with the Legislative Council election not far off, some politicians capitalised on the march as a platform to drum up support ahead of September's poll.

Rolling out a team of second- generation candidates who are considered rising political stars, the Civic Party spared no effort to ensure maximum exposure by equipping them with loudspeakers in Causeway Bay - one of the bottlenecks where the procession was slowed down by traffic police.

But Civic Party candidates such as Tanya Chan and Tsang Kwok-fung were taught a lesson after being tricked into repeating their competitor's slogan - shouted by a 100-strong group of protesters claiming to be pan-democrats who called for "alternative health care".

The group's leader, Alexander Yuan, a doctor who campaigns for naturopathic therapy, among other issues, has openly distributed campaign booklets announcing his plans to contest the Hong Kong Island constituency.

"He must be very rich, because the Electoral Affairs Commission could easily count the cost of the entire protest into his election expenses," one Civic Party member said. There is a HK$2 million cap for campaign spending for candidates running on Hong Kong Island.

Both Cyd Ho Sau-lan and Lo Wing-lok mobilised supporters to promote their campaigns.

All their campaigning pointed to one issue echoed by the protesting crowds - a desire for the government to improve its governance, both in style and in substance.

"What angered me most was how Donald Tsang appointed his political appointees. Why are they paid so much with so little ability, while I am paid peanuts despite being a good worker and have to put up with inflation?" said one female marcher.

The Reverend Ralph Lee Ting-sun of the Methodist Church, who led a pre-march prayer session, said the crowd would return every year until universal suffrage was introduced in response to public demand.

"Some people said July 1 has become a ritual. It is because our annual marching for democracy has become Hong Kong's tradition," he said.

SCMP. Jul 2, 2008.

'Spiderkids' off to play - climbing down a drainpipe 34 storeys high

They were hungry and they wanted to go out to play, so two children began climbing down the outside of their housing estate building - from the 34th floor.

Astonished neighbours in Tin Shui Wai in the northwestern New Territories spotted the girl, eight, and her brother, six, climbing down a drainpipe on the wall of Yat Chi House yesterday morning.

Their Spiderman-like bid for freedom ended when the girl became tired and sneaked into a 28th-floor flat. Her brother was forced to end his dangerous journey on the 25th floor, where the drainpipe ended.

The children's 26-year-old mother was arrested for alleged ill-treatment of the children and negligence.

Both children suffered minor abrasions during the climb and were sent to Tuen Mun Hospital for treatment. Last night, they were still there as welfare officers worked out how best to take care of the siblings, surnamed Wong.

Sources at the scene said the mother was apparently asleep when the children crawled out through an unlocked kitchen window. It is understood they later said they had wanted to play and get food.

The tenant of the 25th floor flat into which the boy climbed at the end of his descent said she was shocked to find him there on her return from shopping.

"The security guards were on high alert when I returned and people had said a child had fallen from a great height," she said. "So after I opened my flat door, I was very scared when I saw the boy standing inside. He looked fine, although he had dirty hands and legs."

Police located the children's mother, surnamed Lo, who accompanied them to hospital.

Following her arrest, she was released on bail and ordered to report back to police in two weeks.

The Social Welfare Department said the family received social security assistance.

The parents had previously reported to social workers that they had been experiencing difficulties caring for the two children.

Luk Chung-hung, a Yuen Long district councillor who visited the family yesterday, said they had already requested a move to a flat on a lower floor of the building.

SCMP. Jun 22, 2008. 

Tai O villagers in reluctant exodus

Officials plead with residents in homes at risk from landslides, floods

A score of residents in four Tai O villages threatened by further landslides left their homes reluctantly yesterday, with some fearing they might never be allowed to return.

The evacuation came as the threat of more heavy rain over the weekend raised fears that weakened slopes above Tai O San Tsuen, Nam Chung, Fan Kwai Tong and Hang Mei could collapse further.

Of the 21 villagers moved out yesterday, 13 people from six families were moved to vacant flats in Lung Tin Estate, Tai O, while the rest went to stay with family and friends.

Home Affairs officers, social workers, police and Civil Aid Service officers visited each of the affected houses in the morning and persuaded the occupants to leave.

Retired teacher Sung Sze-wai, who has lived in Tai O San Tsuen for 25 years, refused to leave when Home Affairs officers approached her on Thursday night. But she reluctantly changed her mind yesterday and left her house amid heavy rain.

"I know how to protect our place but I am not well prepared this time," said Ms Sung, whose neighbours, two teachers at a Tai O school, had also agreed to leave.

She packed some clothes and valuables and took her bicycle as well, but had no time to pick up her pet turtle. "I need an assurance that I will be allowed to come back to pick up more stuff. And actually you don't have to call so many people to help me," she told Byron Lam Saint-kit, the Islands District officer who visited each of the villagers requiring evacuation.

Ms Sung was allocated a flat on the ninth floor of Lung Tin Estate, free from any landslide threat and overlooking the Tai O River. "I hope I won't be here for long," she said.

Furniture, beds, sheets, chairs, cooking utensils and other daily necessity were shipped to Tai O yesterday to help the villagers.

While Ms Sung left, Mrs Luk, 79, refused the offer of safe relocation.

Mr Lam virtually begged her to evacuate yesterday morning, saying: "Think about your children and grandchildren. They also want you to be safe. This is going to be a temporary departure and you can come back whenever the rain stops and sun shines again."

But Mrs Luk told him to leave her alone. "Once I step out of this village, will I be allowed to return?" she asked as she took temporary refuge in a friend's safe home in the village.

Mrs Luk's son, who lives in Tai Po, finally got his mother to come to his home in the afternoon after 30 minutes of pleading. "I had no idea she had been asked to evacuate until I found out this morning," he said, adding that it was the first time in 50 years his mother had left her home.

Many of the evacuees said they regarded their temporary housing as a night shelter for trouble-free sleep.

Chan Hong, who lives in Nam Chung, took a nap at his house yesterday afternoon after promising to leave yesterday morning. "I will only spend the night at the flat, and I will come back to my place during the day. As you can see, there are still people helping clean up the place outside my home."

While he wanted to guard home and property, he believed the chance of theft was minimal.

Another Nam Chung evacuee, Mr Hung, returned to feed his dogs yesterday after getting the keys to his temporary home on Lung Tin Estate. "How can I bring my two dogs with me now? But I think they will be fine," he said.

But Mr Chow, whose rundown village house inside Tai O town was affected by water seepage, hoped for a chance at relocation to a public housing flat. "I hope they can also register me and offer me a safe place to stay," he said.

Meanwhile, Secretary for Transport and Housing Eva Cheng yesterday inspected damaged Keung Shan Road, the only way out of Tai O, which remained closed.

She said the road was being repaired as quickly as possible and a single lane might be reopened once emergency repairs were completed.

It was reported yesterday that the access road linking Tai O and Ngong Ping and Sham Wat Road will reopen today.

With roads still blocked, officers continued to transport food to such remote villages as Keung Shan, Tai Long Wan and Sham Wat.

During yesterday's rainstorm, a vacant brick house collapsed in Tin Shui Wai but no one was injured. Strong winds also toppled a bus stand in Wong Chuk Hang Road, injuring a man. A 20-metre tree on Castle Peak Road also fell over.

SCMP Jun. 14, 2008.

iPhone 3G set for HK launch

Apple lines up 22 key markets for new-generation phone

The wait is nearly over. Apple will first release a faster and cheaper iPhone 3G, with Chinese-language support and a slew of software applications, in Hong Kong and 21 other selected markets worldwide on July 11. “We're launching the new iPhone 3G that is twice as fast at half the price,” Apple chief executive Steve Jobs said late on Monday (California time) to kick-start the company's five-day Worldwide Developer Conference. On July 11, Hutchison Telecommunications' 3 network will join Japan's Softbank Mobile as the first batch of operators in Asia to release Apple's new and advanced iPhone 3G. Apple will initially introduce its latest smartphone to 22 markets and later this year, to a total of about 70 markets worldwide. Unlike the first model released to the consumer market on June 29 last year, the iPhone 3G will also be targeted at corporate users – a direct challenge to current worldwide business smartphone market leader BlackBerry from Canada-based Research In Motion. The iPhone 3G supports Global Positioning System location-based services, Microsoft Exchange and third-party software applications that can be downloaded, either with charge or free, from Apple's App Market, which is available from July 11. Apple did not provide its monthly unit shipment targets per market, but noted that the suggested maximum price will be US$199 for the 8-gigabyte model and US$299 for the 16GB model. The device is the cheapest touch-screen, 3.5G network-supported smartphone in the global market. “We've made it more affordable and faster in our desire to reinvent the mobile phone market worldwide,” said Bob Borchers, senior director for Apple's worldwide product marketing for the iPhone. The phone will also run on High-Speed Downlink Packet Access Data (HSDPA) - also known as 3.5G - mobile networks, which can achieve data transmission speed of up to 14.4 megabits per second. Hutchison Telecom International, which runs mobile phone network services in Hong Kong and Macau under the “3” brand, currently runs HSDPA services capable of 3.6Mbps data transfer speed. The company is the first cellular network operator in Greater China to partner with Apple and release the iPhone 3G. “Our customers are keen users of multimedia mobile Internet content, and we are confident that they will benefit greatly from the unsurpassed communications and infotainment experience that this revolutionary phone will bring to them,” said Dennis Lui Pok-man, chief executive of Hutchison Telecommunications. Hutchison's 3 will first offer the iPhone 3G in Hong Kong on July 11 and in Macau shortly thereafter. “We're thrilled to be working with Hutchison Telecom to bring iPhone 3G to millions of mobile customers in Hong Kong and Macau,” said Tim Cook, Apple's chief operating officer. “We can't wait to get this revolutionary mobile device in the hands even more people around the world.” The device would be the cheapest touch-screen 3.5G smartphone not only in Hong Kong, but also around the world. Mr Borchers said the service pricing plan, terms and conditions of using the iPhone 3G in a market would vary from market to market. “Obviously some markets, operators are obligated to sell ‘unlocked' phones while others do not,” Mr Borchers said. The case of “locked” iPhone units – which prevent a non-subscriber with Apple's partner-operator to use the handset using another operator - had led to a thriving worldwide grey market for hacked iPhones. China Mobile has reported it had about 400,000 Edge cellular network-based iPhone units on its network last year. Hacking the device immediately voids its original warranty, so users of hacked iPhones cannot ask Apple for support. There is apparently no technical restriction for a mainland phone subscriber to use a new iPhone 3G purchased in Hong Kong, Macau or other launch sites in their home market. “From a technical standpoint, there is absolutely no reason they can't use the device inside China,” Mr Borchers said. “The iPhone 3G operates in four bands of GSM and three bands of HSDPA (high speed download packet access).” Despite the increased competition from Apple's iPhone, Finnish firm Nokia, the world's largest mobile phone supplier, is unfazed. In a statement, Nokia said: “It's great to see this latest innovation. As we have said before, we welcome Apple in this very opportunistic market segment.” A spokeswoman from Nokia in Hong Kong noted the company has made available an HSDPA smartphone with 5-megapixel camera, GPS, Wi-fi and Bluetooth support and up to 8GB of memory since last year. This is the company's N95 model, which has so far sold 10 million units worldwide. Nokia, unlike Apple, has a broad portfolio of mobile phones released every year, covering most price points. According to research firm Gartner, Nokia sold 14.588 million smartphones in the first quarter this year to secure a dominant 45.2 per cent share of this market segment. RIM sold 4.312 million in the same quarter to hold a 13.4 per cent global share and the No 2 spot behind Nokia. Apple shipped 1.725 million units in the same period to clinch the No 3 ranking and a 5.3 per cent global market share in smartphones. The supposed iPhone 3G rival, the recently released Touch Diamond from Taiwanese smartphone maker High Tech Computer, costs more than HK$5,000. Other markets that will first receive the iPhone 3G include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Britain and the United States. Mr Jobs said the iPhone 3G would ultimately be available in more than 70 countries later this year. Apple expected to sell as many as 10 million iPhone units this year. To date, there have been more than six million iPhone units sold since it was introduced last year. The new and improved model has built-in Global Positioning System support, for expanded location-based services, and iPhone 2.0 software, which supports Microsoft Exchange and runs hundreds of third-party applications built with the recently released iPhone software development kit (SDK). Those features extend the use of the iPhone 3G to enterprise deployments, which would let Apple challenge the current global business smartphone market share leader, the BlackBerry from Canadian firm Research In Motion. Market research firm Strategy Analytics projected the iPhone would account for 17.4 per cent of 3G handsets sold worldwide this year. iPhone 3G gives users faster access to the internet and e-mail over their cellular network with quad-band Global System for Mobile and tri-band HSDPA connections for voice and data. The device automatically switches between those network links and Wi-fi to ensure the fastest possible download speeds. It delivers an amazing 10 hours of talk time on 2G networks and 5 hours using 3G, with up to 5 to 6 hours of web browsing, as many as seven hours for video playback and up to 24 hours for audio playback. Multi-tasking has been made easier, with users capable of simultaneous voice and data communications. So with iPhone 3G a user can browse the web, get map directions, or check e-mail while on a call. The new iPhone 2.0 software's support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync technology will allow provision of over-the-air push e-mail, contact and calendar syncing. Support for Cisco Systems' IPsec virtual private network technology allows encrypted access to corporate networks and ability to remotely wipe out all data in the device in case it is lost or stolen. The iPhone SDK allows developers to create applications that make use of the iPhone's groundbreaking Multi-Touch user interface, animation technology and GPS technology. iPhone 3G includes the new App Store, providing iPhone users with native applications in a variety of categories including games, business, news, sports, health, reference and travel. The App Store on iPhone works is available over mobile networks and Wi-Fi, which means it is accessible from just about anywhere, so users can purchase and download applications wirelessly and start using them instantly. Some applications are even free and the App Store notifies a user when application updates are available. The App Store will be available in 62 countries. Additional features available with the iPhone 2.0 software include the ability to mass-move and delete multiple e-mail messages, search for contacts, access a new scientific calculator, turn on parental control restrictions for specified content, save images directly from a web page or e-mail them to the iPhone and easily transfer them back to a photo library on a user's Macintosh or Windows-based personal computer. SCMP. Jun. 10, 2008.

"Dai Pai Dongs" and hawkers may be back on the streets

Ease rules on dai pai dongs and hawkers, says bureau

Legco to debate proposal to issue more licences

Hawkers have welcomed a change in policy that would see more of them - and dai pai dongs - back on the streets.

They say hawking is not only a part of Hong Kong culture but also offers job opportunities for unskilled workers.

In a paper to Legco, the Food and Health Bureau has suggested the government relax its controls on licences for food stalls, which would amount to a reversal of policy of the past 30 years.

Tsang Kam-ming, chairman of the Federation of Hong Kong, Kowloon New Territories Hawkers Association, said yesterday the policy reversal came late but "better late than never".

"The government tends to regard hawking as a source of hygiene concerns or noise nuisance. But hawking is also a kind of economic activity," Mr Tsang said.

"Grass-roots workers sometimes need to hawk on streets to make extra money to support themselves."

Referring to dai pai dongs, or open-air roadside food stalls, Mr Tsang added: "They are icons of Hong Kong and many tourists like to eat there."

Street hawkers and food stalls could be found across the city in the 1960s. Streets were lined with itinerant hawkers selling daily groceries at affordable prices.

Dai pai tongs were packed during dining hours. A highlight on their menu is yin yeung - a mix of milk tea and coffee. But by the early 1970s, the now defunct Urban Council tightened its policies and stopped issuing hawker licences.

Ice-cream hawker Chan Po-cheung, 73, said the policy reversal could revive the industry. "Although the businesses cannot make a lot of money, at least I can support myself and do not need to depend on welfare," he said.

According to the Food and Health Bureau, the government should explore "the feasibility of re-issuing new hawker licences and relaxing the requirements for succession and transfer of hawker licences".

Licences would be issued to new operators in some open-air bazaars like the Ladies' Market in Mong Kok, where vacant spots are available. On dai pai dongs, the bureau says district councils should be given a bigger say in deciding whether a stall should be closed or allowed to continue to operate after the expiry of a licence.

The 80-year-old Man Yuen noodle shop in Elgin Street in Central was forced to close in 2005 after its licence lapsed with the death of the licensee, Wong Kwong-hing. His partners were not allowed to continue the business.

The bureau also backs re-issuing licences to small ice cream vendors and ice cream vans, although it is against easing the policy on itinerant hawkers because of hygiene and environmental concerns. There are 6,513 fixed-pitch hawker licences, including 28 dai pai dongs and 79 cooked food bazaars.

Legislators on the food safety and environmental hygiene panel are expected to discuss the matter next Tuesday. Panellist Wong Kwok-hing, welcomed the policy review, saying: "It can help ease the poverty problem too if people are allowed to hawk to make more money."

SCMP. Jun 6, 2008.

Vigil pays glowing tribute to June 4 and earthquake victims

Thousands of people who turned up last night for the annual vigil marking the 19th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown also mourned the dead in the massive earthquake that hit Sichuan three weeks ago.

Despite earlier suggestions that June 4 remembrance activities should be scaled down in light of the disaster that left at least 69,000 dead, organisers instead turned the vigil into a remembrance of both tragic events.

They said more than 48,000 took part, compared with 55,000 last year. Police estimated the figure to be 15,700. Activists said the turnout showed that Hong Kong people had not forgotten June 4.

Echoing above the sea of candles that illuminated the faces of the crowd, which covered seven soccer pitches in Victoria Park, were calls for the central government to reverse its verdict on the 1989 pro-democracy movement, release jailed dissidents and introduce democracy by ending the one-party leadership by the Communist Party.

"Through the candlelight, we shall see the bloodbath and the bodies in disarray 19 years ago," the Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements in China said in its declaration for the vigil. "We shall also see the countless dead and injured under debris in the Sichuan earthquake."

Singing the pro-democracy songs that were sung by students and workers making their last stand before the advancing soldiers and tanks in Beijing's Tiananmen Square 19 years ago, activists laid wreaths and bowed in front of a makeshift memorial.

Paying tribute to the dead, alliance chairman Szeto Wah praised the central government's earthquake relief efforts, which he hoped represented a breakthrough that would lead to greater openness and freedom on the mainland.

"We cannot escape natural disasters like earthquakes, but man-made ones like the bloody crackdown are not inevitable ... Our dear countrymen, who lost your lives in the massacre and the earthquake, may you rest in peace," he said.

To show solidarity with the earthquake victims, all donations collected last night in support of the pro- democracy movement will be sent to the Red Cross for quake relief.

In a prayer session of Christian groups before they joined the vigil, Catholic Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun said he was hopeful the state leadership would vindicate the hundreds killed in the Tiananmen tragedy before its 20th anniversary.

He drew a parallel between the visit to the quake site by Premier Wen Jiabao and that of late party secretary Zhao Ziyang to the students in Tiananmen Square.

"Despite the hopelessness, Premier Wen has shown the face of a loving parent in the rescue efforts ... Perhaps it is also the hope of Premier Wen to rectify the June 4 verdict and vindicate the Tiananmen martyrs."

SCMP. June 5, 2008

‘.hk' tops Net danger list

McAfee finds 19pc of HK domain name sites not safe to visit

When surfing the Internet for safe websites, not all domains are equal – and the “.hk” domain is reportedly the least equal of all.

Companies that assign addresses for websites appear to be cutting corners on security more when they assign names in certain domains than in others, according to a report to be released later on Wednesday by antivirus software vendor McAfee.

McAfee found the most dangerous domains to navigate to were “.hk” (Hong Kong), “.cn” (China) and “.info” (information).

Of all “.hk” sites McAfee tested, it flagged 19.2 per cent as dangerous or potentially dangerous to visitors; it flagged 11.8 per cent of “.cn” sites and 11.7 per cent of “.info” sites that way.

A little more than 5 per cent of the sites under the “.com” domain — the world's most popular — were identified as dangerous.

More spammers, malicious code writers and other cyber-criminals can establish an online presence when domain name registry businesses cut requirements for registering a site in order to boost their profit and profile. The report does not identify domain name registration companies McAfee believes are responsible for those lapses.

Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of companies are in the business of registering domain names; some are large and well known, while others are small and less reputable, offering their services on the cheap and with flimsy or no background checks to lure in more customers.

The fact that internet scam artists gravitate to domain name services with lower fees and fewer requirements is not new.

What McAfee's “Mapping the Mal Web” report, now in its second year, tries to do is identify the domains that are populated with the highest concentration of risky sites.

The servers for “.hk” and “.cn” Web sites do not have to be in China; Web site operators can register sites from anywhere to target different geographies.

Other risky domains include “.ro” (Romania), with 6.8 per cent, and “.ru” (Russia), with 6 per cent of sites flagged as dangerous.

Shane Keats, research analyst for McAfee and lead author of the report, said the increase in dangerous sites registered under the “.hk” and “.cn” domains over last year's report was caused in part by better data collection on McAfee's part on those domains and by apparent security lapses in some registrar companies' processes for registering addresses.

“My advice about surfing behaviour is that if you're really desperate for cheap Prozac and the pharmacy ends in ‘.cn,' don't do it. Just don't do it,” Mr Keats said. “Find another place to get your Prozac.”

Many internet frauds involve fake sites for pharmaceuticals.

The McAfee report is based on results from 9.9 million websites that were tested in 265 domains for serving malicious code, excessive pop-up ads or forms to fill out that actually are tools for harvesting e-mail addresses for sending spam.

Mr Keats said domain name registrars that were strict about authenticating that website owners were operating a legitimate business saw far fewer malicious websites using their services.

Where McAfee found some of the least-risky domain names:

• “.gov” (government use), with 0.05 per cent flagged;

• “.jp” (Japan), with 0.1 per cent flagged and

• “.au” (Australia), with 0.3 per cent flagged.

SCMP. June 4, 2008.

Hutchison gets head start with iPhone deal

Hong Kong's long wait for the iPhone is nearing an end after Hutchison Telecommunications (Hong Kong) sealed a deal with Apple Inc to market the handset in the city and Mac
as soon as the next quarter.

Until now, Hongkongers have only been able to buy the iPhone through unofficial channels, often in the form of parallel imports.

In a short statement issued yesterday, Hutchison Telecom did not specify whether it would launch the 2G or 3G model.

"Due to the confidential agreement with Apple, we can't say too much beyond the formal announcement," a Hutchison Telecom spokesman said.

Market sources said other mobile service operators, including CSL New World Mobility, the largest mobile operator in the city with more than 2.5 million subscribers, and PCCW Mobile, the mobile unit controlled by hi-tech tycoon Richard Li Tzar-kai, would announce a similar partnership with Apple to launch the 3G iPhone shortly.

"There are lots of 3G iPhone handsets coming to Hong Kong in the near term, so getting the first deal is not particularly attractive," a rival said.

Some handset retailers in Mong Kok are selling unlocked iPhones - which can be used with service providers other than the Apple-authorised one - for about HK$4,500.

Hutchison Telecom's existing subscribers are expected to be the first batch of users of the iPhone locally in an early-bird programme starting this summer.

"The deal with Apple regarding the launch of iPhone is not as tough as previously anticipated," said a source, explaining that revenue sharing - which marketers baulk at - would no longer apply. "[Apple] has changed its business model to boost iPhone sales in various markets."

Apple has so far struck exclusive deals for the iPhone with AT&T in the Unites States, O2 in England, T-Mobile in Germany and Orange in France. It has sold 5.4 million units worldwide.

Apple also hopes to tap the mainland mobile market, the largest in the world, although sources said talks with China Mobile had collapsed.

[A+] Food-labelling chance that was missed

Dear 6AB1 students,

The whole food labelling event has come to an end. This article basically gives a short summary of what has happened up till now. It's a good read for those who have little idea of the food labelling issue.

Regards, 

Mr. Fu 

The overhaul of Hong Kong's food labelling laws has, surprisingly, resulted in a rare defeat for the government on the floor of the Legislative Council. The government's intention was good - to benefit consumers by ensuring they are provided with more information about what they are buying to eat. But its execution went awry. Regrettably, consumers could end up being the losers, with favourite products disappearing from the shelves.
People are becoming more conscious than ever of the link between nutrition and good health. Most would welcome more informative nutritional labelling. A government opinion survey of 860 people last month found 93 per cent thought packaging of food with nutrition claims should spell out information to support them. Hong Kong has lagged behind the developed world in this respect. Public sentiment appears receptive to legislation.

The government settled on a "one plus seven" labelling regime-energy content plus seven core nutrients - which complies with a recent World Health Organisation recommendation. On the face of it, the bill should have enjoyed a smooth package.

The way the government went about drafting the legislation, however, was problematic. It prompted opposition from overseas exporters, local importers and the retail trade. By volume, Hong Kong is a comparatively small market, although our city's multicultural, cosmopolitan population generates strong demand for choice.

As a result, retailers carry a lot of small-volume lines. The cost of retesting and relabelling just for our market could be prohibitive. The government recognised this by exempting items with an annual sales volume of less than 30,000. But the exemption did not extend to those that carried health claims.

This, understandably, brought a strong backlash from foreign commercial interests, trade and commercial diplomats and retailers, who argued that 15,000 niche products which make nutrition claims could, as a result, be removed from the shelves.

The government sensibly listened to these concerns and amended the bill to create further exemptions. This satisfied the critics, but supporters of the bill felt the changes went too far. The government failed to lobby enough lawmakers to support the amendments - and the original proposals were enacted.

As a result, it seems many food products will become unavailable, therefore depriving consumers of products they enjoy eating and believe to be healthy. This was not the objective of the legislation.

Secretary for Food and Health York Chow Yat-ngok says it is difficult to strike the right balance between conflicting points of view. Striking a balance between different interests may be necessary to secure the passage of a bill through Legco. But the priority should be to devise the best laws possible - even if this does not please everybody. It means enacting legislation which is effective, but not impractical. That is what should have happened.

It is disappointing that the amendments were not allowed to pass, to ensure consumers still enjoy access to their favoured products. The legislation does not take effect, however, for more than two years. It is to be hoped that the international movement towards more uniform food labelling around the world will help limit the impact on small-volume health lines. Meanwhile, opponents of the legislation should continue to lobby for changes that enhance the transparency of food labelling without limiting choice.

SCMP. May 30, 2008

Idol pursuits

Color Keung Tsz-lam

Semi-professional models are cashing in on the fervour of the city's growing army of amateur photographers

She may not be a household name but Color Keung Tsz-lam has her own fan club. Her devoted supporters organise birthday parties and make banners to cheer her on. The 24-year-old is a sought after figure in an unusual niche - as a model for the city's growing army of photography buffs.
"Some treat me like their idol and ask for my autographs as if I were a celebrity," says Keung.

The rise of "star" models like her rests largely on an explosion in amateur photography fuelled by access to cheap digital cameras. Local amateurs have long pooled resources to hire models for an outdoor shoot, paying several hundred dollars for their fees and transport. But the number of hobbyists has shot up substantially in recent years as the equipment becomes increasingly inexpensive, with teenagers wielding professional SLR digital cameras. This surge has led in turn to greater demand for photography models - and higher fees for their services. Their work doesn't have the glamour of fashion modelling and the income can't compare, either. Indeed, many amateur models work as promotion staff at fairs for gadgets and computer games. Still, Keung says a neophyte can now charge about HK$200 for several hours' work while experienced, sought after models may command as much as HK$1,000 an hour.

Bryan Kong Chun-yin, a 20-year-old student, formed Keung's fan club after spotting her in computer games magazines. "She's beautiful and very nice," he says a little sheepishly. "She's talented too; she plays the piano and draws."

While most of his classmates at vocational school idolise Canto-pop singers and TV stars, Kong feels it's his "mission to let more people know about Color". Kong organises gatherings for members every six months, hosting barbecues or meals. Sometimes fans meet to share tips on shooting portraits. "Without Color, I don't think I'd enjoy taking photos as much as I'm [doing] now," he says.

However much she appreciates fans' support, Keung understands the psyche behind their adulation. "They might also admire top fashion models such as Kathy Chow Man-kei; these people are beyond their reach so they direct their attention to us. We are also models, but we are more approachable," she says.

Keung began modelling in secondary school, mainly for local teen magazines, and hooked up with photo clubs five years ago to build up a portfolio. "I wanted to send my photos to magazines. But since I wasn't assigned to an agency, I didn't have good pictures to make an impressive portfolio," she says. "I also couldn't afford to hire a professional to take photos for me because I was still a student, so I modelled for photo clubs. It was a good deal. I got paid and could select some good photos to compile a portfolio."

Lau Wai-lung, who has recently joined an online photo club whose members help each other hone their craft, is ambivalent about the rise of semi-professional models. "Before the era of digital cameras, a girl would have to pay if she wanted to have her photos taken. Now we have to pay the girls to model for us."

Another hobbyist, Chan Kam-wing, says the amateur models offer beginners the chance to practise shooting portraits. "It's more affordable if you can share the cost with a few snappers," says the telecoms technician.

Silver Leung Siu-wah, a comics fan and photography buff, initially saw exhibitions featuring girl promoters as a good opportunity for him to practise portraiture. But the IT project manager says he has been intimidated by huge crowds jostling for position at recent promotions. "Some even bring along ladders," says Leung. "It's not fun to carry 2kg of camera gear and battle with so many snappers in such a chaotic situation."

For pretty young women, posing for mass photo sessions can be a lucrative sideline. Candice Tang Hei-wa, a 17-year-old student, says it pays better than a part-time sales job and entry is simple. "All we need to do is upload our photos and put our MSN contacts on the internet," she says. After a couple of months, Tang now charges HK$200 an hour for a photo session.

But no one should be under the illusion that posing for amateurs will do much to improve modelling skills. "All the photographers want are big eyes and a cute smile; there isn't much variety," says Keung. "Some even ask me to point to my dimples and act kawaii [cute]. Poses like these are boring and old-fashioned but I do it as long as they like it."

Like Keung, Sheena Lo Pui-cheung began posing for amateurs to boost her portfolio. Among her biggest assignments was a university photo day, when she had to face about 100 campus snappers. "It was difficult to pose in front of so many people. I didn't know where to look, there were many flashlights," she recalls. It's fun dressing up in costumes for sessions at comics conventions and the like, she says.

Although she charges HK$300 an hour for photo sessions, the 23-year-old says it can be hard work. With no assistants to rely on, she has had to walk up and down Mount Davis with bags of clothes for an outdoor shoot and recalls another session when she had to endure mosquito bites while posing on the grass.

And without the buffer of an agency, amateur models can face harassment. But Tang insists she can fend off unwelcome attention. "I also receive many strange MSN messages but I just ignore them," she says.

Aggressive admirers too can be a menace. Keung recalls how an obsessed fan threatened to "destroy everything" of hers if she didn't answer his calls. "He got my mobile number from other people and left disturbing messages. He also followed me around after checking my schedule on my blog," she says. "He even hacked into my computer, e-mail and ICQ. Finally, I had to call the police."

Some models think photo clubs may be a springboard to professional careers, but Keung disagrees. "It helps you compile some nice photos and build up confidence posing and smiling in front of a crowd, but there's no guarantee that you'll be signed by a modelling agency," she says. "And people may lose interest after several shoots. This field is very competitive because new faces are coming up all the time."

SCMP. May 27, 2008

Consumer Council finds doughnuts are loaded with trans-fats

Anyone with doubts that doughnuts are fattening has had them removed by the Consumer Council.

The watchdog found in tests that doughnuts were loaded with trans-fats that could cause obesity and even lead to serious health problems such as heart disease.

Tests done jointly by the council and the Centre for Food Safety found that one doughnut contained as much as 2.2 grams of the fats, exceeding the World Health Organisation's recommended limit for a full day's intake. Two other popular sweet treats were found to contain high levels of the fats.

A traditional lo por beng (wife cake) from the Wing Wah cake shop had 1.7 grams per 100 grams and a Garden Company's vanilla-flavoured cream wafer 1.3.

The council said that a person eating one piece of wife cake would consume close to 60 per cent of the recommended daily intake of fats.

Lawmaker Fred Li Wah-ming, the Democratic Party's consumer affairs spokesman, urged food manufacturers to use non-hydrogenated oils as substitutes and advised the public to eat less crispy and fried food.

Mr Li did not see a big difference in the taste of foods made with non-hydrogenated oils, and said there were no excuses for manufacturers not to use healthier substitutes.

The fatty doughnut sample was from Krispy Kreme and was found to have 4.7 grams of trans-fat per 100 grams, while two other doughnut samples from Arome Bakery and A-1 Bakery had considerably less - 0.25 grams and 0.46 grams respectively.

Anne Fung Yu-kei, a principal medical officer at the Centre for Food Safety, said there was a wide variation in the level of trans-fats in food products.

Dr Fung said trans-fats could affect the heart and increase the risk of coronary disease.

Ambrose Ho, chairman of publicity and the community relations committee of the council, advised food manufacturers to avoid using hydrogenated vegetable oils in their products and develop methods to reduce trans-fats content. Seven samples were found to have variations in their nutrition labelling which might be misleading to consumers.

The Centre for Food Safety has sent warning letters to these distributors and manufacturers told them to change the labels within two weeks.

Companies like using trans-fats in their foods because they are easy to use, inexpensive to produce and last a long time.

A spokeswoman for Wing Wah said the company was aware of the health concerns and would continue to study possible substitutes. The Garden Company said it had identified some replacements but needed to study quality control and make sure the product still tasted good. Krispy Kreme had no comment.

A total of 85 food products, including those from bakeries, ready-to-eat savouries, instant noodles, soups, milk products, mayonnaise, chocolate spreads, peanut butters and chocolate, were tested. Eighty-one were found to contain trans-fats.

The council and the Centre for Food Safety also did tests last October on 80 food products, in which cream-filled bread was found to contain the highest level of trans-fats with 1.8 grams per 100 grams.

SCMP. May 15, 2008.

[A+] Food labelling boils down to public health

Dear students,

The introduction of food labelling legislation has caused some public discussions. If you have been to supermarkets recently, you might have seen labels stating that certain products may vanish later due to the new food labelling policy. What is it all about? This SCMP article written by an Ex-Co member Bernard Chan can give you some ideas about the whole issue.

Regards,
Mr. Fu


Five years ago, the government decided to introduce mandatory nutritional labelling on packaged food. Consumer and health groups wanted a strict system installed quickly. Food importers and retailers resisted it. Officials got a broad consensus for a labelling system detailing levels of carbohydrate, saturated fat, cholesterol and other nutrients.
As it stands, the proposed labelling scheme does not apply to items that sell fewer than 30,000 units a year. They do not need to show any nutrition information at all. This is to ensure that the cost of testing and labelling does not drive these products off the shelves.

However, this exemption does not apply to products making certain health-related claims. The reason is that a claim alone can be a misleading marketing tool. A "sugar-free" product might have worrying levels of fat or salt.

This seemingly minor point has become a battleground, with trade interests arguing that up to 15,000 products - many of them supposedly "healthier" and popular among western and other minorities - may vanish from shop shelves. The 15,000 could well be a big exaggeration. The lobby has done a good job of presenting the issue as one of consumer rights and freedoms, but ultimately their priority is profit.
I am getting e-mails and calls from expatriate mothers and other people scared that Hong Kong will "ban" favourite products at the end of this month. They are victims of scaremongering.

There is, in any case, a two-year grace period before the new rules take effect. Market forces mean thousands of retail lines come and go every year, and most products have alternatives - look at the different brands of cornflakes.

People with allergies and other diet- sensitive conditions are worried that some niche products, like wheat- or dairy-free items, will disappear. However, the new system would not apply to them. Provided the labels do not make specific nutrition claims like "low fat", such items, if sold in small volumes, will not be affected.

A broader criticism of the proposed system is that imported products from the US or Europe already provide nutritional information, so must we reinvent the wheel?

The sticking points are highly technical. The US and Canada measure nutrients per serving, while other places do it per 100 grams. Some allow tiny quantities of nutrients to be rounded down to zero. The food trade complains that Hong Kong's proposed system is "unique", but so are all systems. Offering loopholes (like allowing a simple disclaimer sticker) for some imported goods could open loopholes for locally made foods, making the whole system pointless.

As chairman of the Legislative Council subcommittee on food and drugs considering the proposed nutrition labelling scheme, I spent a lot of this week listening to these arguments. At times, I wonder if everyone is exaggerating their case. For example, I have heard both camps claim that diabetics will suffer if the other side gets its way.

To me, the bottom line is health. We are facing rising levels of heart disease, obesity and cancer, largely because of what we eat. With health-care costs rising, the government has a duty to make sure consumers understand what their diet choices might mean in the long run. They must also ensure that manufacturers do not mislead people into thinking, for example, that a highly processed snack is healthy just because it is "low" in this or has "added" that.

I freely admit to being a bit of a health freak. But, if consumers want convenience, variety and 50 flavours, we should not bash the food industry for delivering them. Consumers must, ultimately, educate themselves and take responsibility for their own choices. But they cannot do that without adequate labelling.

Bernard Chan is a member of the Executive Council and a legislator representing the insurance functional constituency

SCMP. May 11, 2008.

Tutorial centre accused of trying to 'con' exam students

The exams authority reported a tutorial centre to "a law enforcement agency" yesterday over allegations that the centre tried to "con" students after gaining improper access to an English-language exam paper last week.

The development came as the tutorial centre alleged by Chinese-language media to be involved, Xiandai College, denied any connection to the case but suspended all classes taught by the celebrity tutor accused of being at the centre of the claims.

The allegations centre around complaints that a tutorial centre had offered an "extended learning" mobile phone service related to the Certificate of Education Examinations English language paper 1A - a test of students' reading ability.

The alleged service involved sending students text messages explaining the content of the exam after it had finished, claiming it would "help candidates gain a deeper understanding of paper 1B", the writing paper. The two exams were held on Friday, with a 45-minute break between the two.

The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority first confirmed it was looking into the case in a statement posted on its website late on Tuesday night.

"The incident could indicate that the related organisation got hold of a copy of the question paper through an improper channel before the exam was over and used this to profit from and cheat students," it said.

According to the authority's regulations, students and exam supervisors are banned from removing question papers from exam halls until the exam is over. However, the statement added that although the topics of the two papers were "similar", the second was not directly related to the first and "candidates would not gain any advantage because of this service". A spokeswoman confirmed yesterday the matter was now in the hands of the authorities, but declined to confirm whether it was being dealt with by the police or the Independent Commission Against Corruption, and refused to name the tutorial centre.

"As this case has been passed to a law enforcement agency, we will not make further comment," she said. "We wish to have a clear investigation of this case and so feel it would be more appropriate for them [the law enforcement agency] to investigate this than for us to look into it."

Xiandai College, meanwhile, held a press conference yesterday to deny any involvement.

Although the tutoring chain said it would "initially trust" the tutor at the centre of the row - Karson Oten Fan Kar-no - it had temporarily suspended its working relations with him until he could provide an explanation.

Lee Wai-lok, executive director of the chain, said the school had not terminated Mr Fan's contract and explained the temporary suspension was just to avoid the public losing confidence in Xiandai due to the controversy.

"Because the Form Five and Form Seven courses are finished, the number of students involved is not so much," Mr Lee said.

Mr Fan did not attend the press conference, but the centre issued a short statement on his behalf. The statement stressed Xiandai College was not involved. It claimed media reports had not represented the "whole truth", but did not elaborate.

SCMP. May 8, 2008

Giant derrick brings wreck of Ukrainian tugboat to surface

The Ukrainian tugboat Neftegaz-67 resurfaced in tatters near Tuen Mun yesterday, 37 days after a deadly collision with a mainland freighter.

There was a gaping 3-metre-by-4-metre hole in the hull's stern. The deputy head of the Guangzhou Salvage Bureau, He Weizhang, said workers might have to cut the tugboat into sections and ship the pieces away instead of plugging it.

"If we can mend the hole, then we'll make it float again. But if not, we'll have to take it apart and ship it," he said.

Neftegaz-67 collided with the mainland cargo ship Yaohai on March 22 and sank in about two minutes, leaving three dead and 15 missing, presumed dead.

Chornomornaftogaz, the Ukrainian oil and gas company that owns the tugboat, contracted the salvage bureau to raise it, thereby recruiting Asia's largest floating derrick, the Hua Tian Long, for the job.

The derrick started lifting the Ukrainian tugboat at around 7am yesterday with eight thick cables, visible from a kilometre away. Neftegaz-67's chimney - yellow and blue, the Ukraine's national colours - appeared above the water in the morning. By 1.30pm, most of its bridge had surfaced, followed by its hull at 7.30pm.

In the afternoon, workers had to detach and test two cables before continuing, Chornomornaftogaz engineer Oksana Mamokha said.

A view of the bridge from the aft showed it was so badly damaged that a cross section of its interior could be seen. One part of the bridge was lifted out separately.

Vessels from the salvage bureau, the Hong Kong police and the marine and fire services departments patrolled a 120-hectare area that was cordoned off around the crash site, on a busy deep-sea channel east of Siu Mo To Island.

They sprayed chemicals into the water to prevent pollution from the tugboat's leaking fuel. Two concentric floating booms surrounded the salvage site, set about 500 metres apart, to prevent fuel from spreading.

The Nan Yang, another derrick from the salvage bureau, floated nose-to-nose to assist the Hua Tian Long as Neftegaz-67 resurfaced.

The lift came four days after it was scheduled, having been delayed three times by Typhoon Neoguri, cable damage and rough weather. No one knew for sure how much longer the operation would take, Ms Mamokha said, and there could be further delays.

Mr He said: "After all, this work is being done on the water. The weather conditions can affect the work at any moment."

Workers would try to plug the hole before looking for other possible collision damage, he said. They would then pump water out and search for bodies.

Chornomornaftogaz estimated the salvage operation would cost US$10 million.

SCMP. Apr. 28, 2008.

[A+] Banning idling engines will make a difference

The government's decision to press ahead with legislation against idling engines is a welcome - although long overdue - step in the battle against air pollution.

Now officials must ensure that the law is introduced in good time and that it contains measures that will prove effective in curbing a practice which wastes energy and is increasingly seen as a form of antisocial behaviour.

Even before the recent public consultation it was clear there was strong public support for a statutory ban on motorists keeping engines running when their vehicles are stationary. Now that the results of the consultation confirm the public backing for the move, the Environmental Protection Department has all the support it needs to go ahead. Officials say the law should be enacted by next year at the latest. It certainly should not take longer than that.

Having taken such a long time to get to this stage, the focus must be on ensuring that the law is not watered down and rendered ineffective by exemptions intended to placate various interest groups - notably the transport sector.

Representatives of truck, taxi and minibus drivers have in the past argued against a ban and succeeded in stalling its introduction. The government went along, arguing that education was more effective than legislation. Now that public momentum is building towards introducing tougher measures, the trade groups are demanding that certain vehicles be exempted. Officials must not give in this time. The law must cover all types of vehicle, with the exception of emergency and special service vehicles such as those for the disabled and elderly. Furthermore, it must be adequately enforced.

It is hard to understand what is so difficult, and harmful to business, about turning a key to cut off an engine. Drivers will save on fuel, and the whole community will benefit from less pollution.

Specious reasons have been advanced, such as discomfort for passengers without constant air-conditioning and the ruinous effects on engines being turned on and off frequently. Drivers should not presume to speak for their passengers, most of whom would support the new law, if the government survey is anything to go by. Indeed, some of the trades' more reasonable concerns have already been dealt with. For example, the first two taxis or minibuses in a queue will, it seems, be allowed to keep their engines running.

Vehicles are the second-largest source of air pollution in Hong Kong. Of all the measures being proposed to fight pollution, banning idling engines is the easiest and cheapest to achieve. It has the added benefit of being likely to change people's behaviour if properly enforced. It can help increase awareness of the need for individuals to play their part in conserving energy and reducing air pollution. With a large public mandate, the new law will make a statement that the city is serious about cleaning up the environment.

Air pollution remains a serious problem in Hong Kong. Roadside monitoring stations recorded very high levels for about 11 per cent of the time in the first quarter of this year, up from 6.48 per cent of the time during the same period last year. General stations also saw higher pollution levels, with readings in the high range 70.5 per cent of the time, up from 51.7 per cent a year earlier. Banning idling engines will help make a difference but it will not solve our city's air pollution problems. A wider range of measures is needed.

SCMP. Apr 27, 2008.

Obesity rising among HK children

Obesity among Hong Kong's primary school children is getting worse, new figures tabled in the Legislative Council on Wednesday show.

Lawmaker Frederick Fung Kin-kee said Health Department data revealed the obesity rate among primary school children rose from 19.4 per cent in 2005-2006 to 20.2 per cent in 2006-2007.

“The causes can be attributed to such factors as children's life style and their eating habits. This includes their preference for foods that are high in fat, sugar or salt - generally referred to as ‘junk food',” Mr Fung told Legco.

He said obesity was not only hurting children's physical and psychological development, but increasing their risk of developing chronic diseases. This also placed a financial burden on the community to provide health care.

“In view of this, the authorities in the United Kingdom have - since last year - gradually imposed a ban on the broadcast of junk food advertisements during, or soon before, and after children's television programmes and programmes which are especially popular with children under 16,” he said.

Mr Fung, of the Association for Democracy and People's Livelihood, asked the government if it intended adopting a similar policy in Hong Kong.

Secretary for Food and Health York Chow Yat-ngok replied that there were no immediate plans to follow the British example.

“At this stage, the government is open-minded about the regulation of food advertisements.” he told the Legco.

“We have to gather more evidence, draw on the practical experiences of other countries and places, and listen to the opinions of experts and the public.” Dr Chow said the best way to tackle the problem was people changing their eating habits.

“Generally speaking, childhood obesity is mainly attributable to two factors: first, unhealthy eating habits, such as high consumption of unhealthy foods - including foods high in fat, sugar, salt or low in nutrient levels - with low consumption of fruits and vegetables, and second, inadequate exercise,” explained Dr Chow.

He said both factors were closely related to the lifestyle.

“To effectively address obesity, we should start changing our living habits. Adopting and consolidating healthy eating habits and performing regular exercise since childhood help prevent various diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke and cancer,” he said.

The health secretary said the best way to help children develop healthy habits was through publicity and education.

“As such, the government has been disseminating knowledge of healthy eating and benefits of exercise to school children through various channels,” Dr Chow said.

He said the government was working with the community, schools and parents on the issue. Examples of its efforts included the “EatSmart@school.hk” Campaign and the “Eatsmart@restaurant.hk” Campaign.

SCMP. Apr. 23, 2008.